9/19/2023
LifeLink of Puerto Rico Utilizes Paragonix Advanced Organ Preservation for Landmark Donor Organ Transport
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First use of Advanced Organ Preservation (AOP) technology in Puerto Rico allows donor liver to be successfully transported over 1200 miles to US Mainland

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paragonix Technologies, Inc. achieves a historic milestone in Puerto Rico with the first-ever utilization of its advanced liver preservation technology, the LIVERguard™ Donor Liver Preservation System, which preserved, monitored, and tracked a donor liver throughout its extended trip to a transplant center in Florida. The recovery was managed by the expert staff of LifeLink of Puerto Rico, a non-profit Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). LifeLink of Puerto Rico works closely with donor hospitals throughout the territory to facilitate organ donation and save the lives of patients in need of lifesaving transplantation. When a potential recipient for a donated liver cannot be identified within Puerto Rico, Paragonix LIVERguard technology will allow the donated liver to reach patients awaiting of a liver transplant at transplant centers on the U.S. mainland.

"We are dedicated to providing our transplant partners with cutting-edge and innovative technologies that can ensure optimal results for the patients under our care,” said Guillermina Sanchez, Executive Director of LifeLink of Puerto Rico. “Embracing this state-of-the-art preservation technology, alongside the clinical assistance provided by Paragonix, and our local recovery teams, aligns with our goal to improve lives by facilitating organ recovery for transplantation."

First of its kind, the Paragonix LIVERguard system is an FDA-cleared device designed to optimize the preservation and transportation of a donor liver. This technology represents a major advancement over the traditional ice-and-cooler practice that is still used today. The LIVERguard system employs a rigid, protective outer structure designed for physical safety, and incorporates proprietary cooling technology inside to ensure thermal protection. Across all Paragonix devices, users can seamlessly access crucial digital data in real-time such as GPS location or vital temperature monitoring statistics.

“These intricate and demanding medical scenarios motivate our team to exceed expectations for both recipients and donors,” said Dr. Lisa Anderson, President and CEO of Paragonix Technologies. “The successful transport of a preserved donor organ from LifeLink of Puerto Rico to Florida underscores the hurdles that Organ Procurement Organizations and transplant centers conquer to securely deliver the precious gift of life. We take immense pride in contributing to these lifesaving procedures.”

For more information about Paragonix, visit www.paragonix.com.

About LifeLink of Puerto Rico

LifeLink of Puerto Rico, a division of LifeLink Foundation, is the non-profit OPO designated to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. LifeLink of Puerto Rico helps to facilitate the recovery of organs for transplantation within all hospitals in its donation service area, along with providing public education about the facts of donation and how individuals can save lives by joining the organ, tissue and eye donor registry while obtaining a driver license or online at www.DonateLifePuertoRico.org.

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