Presentations showcased at World Transplant Congress in San Francisco demonstrate HOPE reduces the cost of liver transplantation by shortening the index hospitalization and decreasing late complications
HOPE was associated with significantly less severe organ rejection and a significantly lower risk of steroid resistant organ rejection
CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Following the unveiling of 12-month follow-up results from the pivotal Bridge to HOPE trial during the World Transplant Congress (WTC) 2025 Plenary Session, additional analyses of the data demonstrate that Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE), in conjunction with the VitaSmartTM Perfusion System, can provide significant cost-savings for hospital systems without compromising quality of care, and reduce the severity of organ rejection, including steroid resistant rejection.
The results of these analyses were presented in oral abstract sessions by David Axelrod, MD, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, OH (“Economic Assessment of Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion in Liver Transplantation”) and David J. Reich, MD, FACS, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA (“Decreased Rejection Severity with Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion: Sub Analysis from a Pivotal Multicenter Trial of HOPE for Liver Transplantation”).
The data were part of the 12-month follow-up study of the Bridge to Life Ltd. Bridge to Hope clinical trial (HOPE with VitaSmartTM Machine Perfusion System). “Building on the 12‑month follow‑up Bridge to HOPE clinical trial data presented in the Plenary Session, these additional analyses further strengthen the evidence for the value that HOPE used with the VitaSmart™ Perfusion System brings to the transplant community,” said Don Webber, CEO and President of Bridge to Life Ltd., sponsor of the Bridge to HOPE clinical trial. “Bridge to Life is committed to partnering with Transplant Centers, Organ Procurement Organizations, and Hospitals to lower total cost of care while delivering the highest‑quality patient outcomes—by shortening hospital stays and reducing post‑transplant complications, including the risk of severe and steroid‑resistant rejection. Our broad presence at WTC 2025 underscores our leadership in advancing transplant science.”
In the economic analysis, compared with standard static cold storage (SCS), liver transplantation using HOPE reduced initial post-liver transplantation hospital length of stay (10.8 vs. 12.9 days), costs associated with biliary complications (20.2% vs. 24.6%), re-transplants (1.8% vs. 4.5%), and death (2.8% vs. 3.6%). Further, HOPE reduced one-year post-transplant costs by an average of $28,565, according to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data. Researchers concluded that HOPE for a minimum 1.5 hours at the recipient hospital reduced the cost of liver transplantation by shortening the index hospitalization and decreasing late complications. Additional financial benefits may include increased organ utilization, reduced staff overtime, and fewer high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) transplants.
In the review of the organ rejection data, moderate/severe biopsy-proven organ rejection was less common in HOPE than SCS (32% v 67%, p=.033). Ten patients developed steroid resistant organ rejection: one in the HOPE cohort and nine in the SCS group (4% v 43%, p=.003). Researchers concluded that while the prevalence of organ rejection was similar in HOPE and SCS, HOPE was associated with significantly less severe organ rejection and a significantly lower risk of steroid resistant organ rejection. These results highlight the immunomodulatory benefits of HOPE and warrant further research.
About Bridge to Life™ Ltd
Bridge to Life™ Ltd is a market leader in organ preservation solutions, offering premier products such as Belzer UW®, EasiSlush® and the VitaSmart™1 Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion System. With a strong focus on product quality, innovation and accessibility, the company serves and partners with leading Transplant Centers and Organ Procurement Organizations globally.
1VitaSmart™ is CE Marked and available for sale in several markets outside of the United States. VitaSmart™ is pending FDA approval in the United States.
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