According to the American ACB News on May 12, Mr. Richard Slayman - the first person to receive a gene-edited pig kidney transplant last March - passed away suddenly.

In a statement on May 11, the transplant team at Massachusetts General Hospital said they were deeply saddened by Slayman's passing and sent their condolences to his family.

The hospital also stressed that there was no indication that Mr. Slayman’s death was due to the transplant. He was discharged about two weeks after the successful surgery.

The 62-year-old man had been living with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure for many years. He had to undergo dialysis for many years before receiving a kidney transplant in 2018.

However, due to living with diabetes and blood pressure, the kidney began to show signs of failure after 5 years of transplantation, forcing him to continue dialysis in May 2023.

The pig kidney was provided by eGenesis, a pharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to the hospital, harmful pig genes were removed and some human genes were added to improve its compatibility with the recipient.

In a statement, Mr. Slayman's family thanked the doctors and staff who cared for him at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"The tremendous efforts of the doctors in performing the kidney transplant allowed our family to have seven more weeks with Richard. The memories of that time will remain in our minds and hearts forever," the statement said.

Mr. Slayman's family also revealed that one of the reasons Slayman underwent the transplant was to give hope of life to thousands of others.

"Richard accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will live on forever. His legacy will be an inspiration to patients, researchers and health care professionals everywhere," the family said.