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Lawrence Faucette, a 58-year-old man suffering from terminal heart disease, who received the world’s second transplant of a genetically modified pig heart, passed away on October 30, 2023, as reported by the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore.
Faucette, a former laboratory technician, had been repeatedly declined for a standard allograft transplantation due to his complex medical conditions. He underwent the pig heart transplant on September 20, 2023, after arriving at UMMC as an end-stage heart failure patient on September 14. His heart stopped shortly before the surgery, necessitating resuscitation.
On September 15, the US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for the procedure under its single-patient investigational new drug compassionate use pathway.
“My last remaining hope is the xenotransplant with the pig heart,” Faucette expressed in an interview from his hospital room a few days before the operation. “At least now I have hope, and I have a chance.”
Following the surgery, Faucette made “significant progress” over the course of a month, engaging in physical therapy and spending quality time with his family, according to the university. However, in the days leading up to his passing, signs of heart rejection emerged.
“Mr. Faucette’s final wish was for us to glean as much knowledge as possible from this experience, ensuring others have a shot at a new heart when a human organ isn’t available,” stated Dr. Bartley P. Griffith, who performed the pig heart transplant at UMMC. “He then conveyed his love for the team of doctors and nurses gathered around him. He will be greatly missed.”
Dr. Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, professor of surgery and scientific/program director of the Cardiac Xenotransplantation Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, emphasized that “Mr. Faucette was a scientist who not only interpreted his own biopsies but comprehended the significant contribution he was making in advancing the field.”
“Similar to the first patient, David Bennett, Sr., we plan to conduct an extensive analysis to identify factors that can be addressed in future transplants. This will allow us to continue our progress and share our insights with colleagues in the field,” Mohiuddin added.
The researchers will refrain from providing further comments until their investigation is concluded, according to a university spokesperson who spoke to theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology.
In January 2022, UMMC performed the first transplant of a genetically modified pig heart. David Bennett, the recipient of that heart, survived for 60 days. The researchers published their initial findings in The New England Journal of Medicine, followed by the results of their subsequent investigation in The Lancet.
