TRACT Therapeutics, Inc. is developing a novel approach for restoring immune balance in patients receiving a solid organ transplant or in patients suffering from an autoimmune disease. This therapeutic approach may potentially reduce the chance of organ rejection following a transplant or transfer a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease into a state of remission.
The proprietary technology is based on a platform which can be utilized to treat solid organ transplant patients, as well as a number of autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s Disease. For organ transplant, it shows great promise in preventing rejection of a donated organ, thereby, reducing the need for a second transplant. TRACT’s TregCel™ personalized therapy could transform the medical approach in transplant medicine by dramatically reducing or eliminating the lifelong use of toxic anti-rejection drugs.
Transplant Doesn’t Last Forever
In 2021, over 41,000 Americans underwent organ transplant surgery. Afterward, these transplant recipients were placed on very powerful but toxic immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of their lives. Despite the short-term efficacy of these drugs, their prolonged use can cause life-threatening conditions. Unfortunately, up to 50% of all organ recipients will eventually reject their organ within 10 to 12 years and require a second transplant.
“As an organ recipient four years ago, I am grateful that I am a survivor and lead a completely normal life. All transplant recipients must take a lifetime of very powerful medications to prevent rejection. Today, transplant surgery is so successful that recipients can live a normal life span. But because of the toxicity of the drugs, many transplanted organs fail and becomes the limiting factor in the recipient’s life. If the TRACT therapy proves successful in maintaining an organ without the use of these drugs, it is a game-changer in transplant medicine. Recipients will live longer, not require a second transplant, and more organs will be available for the over 106,000 people currently on the national waiting list.”
Dan Dickinson, Chairman of the Northwestern Medicine Transplant Advisory Council