NICE Supports Routine NHS Funding and Access to Ex-Situ Machine Perfusion in a Major Step Forward for Liver Transplantation

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance supports wider patient access to life-saving liver transplantation through routine adoption of machine perfusion technologies across England

OXFORD, United Kingdom and MADISON, N.J., Aug. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OrganOx Ltd., a leading organ medical technology company and wholly owned subsidiary of Terumo Corporation, today welcomed NICE guidance supporting routine NHS funding and access to ex-situ machine perfusion technologies for liver transplantation.

The guidance comes at a time when demand for donor livers continues to exceed supply, hundreds of patients in England remain on the transplant waiting list, and many donated livers are declined for transplantation despite the urgent need for life-saving organs. NICE recognised the potential for ex-situ machine perfusion technologies to increase utilisation of donor livers and improve access to transplantation for patients.

The independent evaluation found that ex-situ machine perfusion technologies provide clinical benefits and represent a cost-effective use of NHS resources. The guidance is expected to support consistent access to these technologies across transplant centres and reduce variation associated with local funding arrangements.

"We welcome this important decision from NICE," said Naoya Iwata, Chief Executive Officer of OrganOx. "The guidance recognises the value of machine perfusion in helping more donor livers reach transplantation and improving access for patients."

NICE is one of the world's most respected and influential health technology assessment organisations, providing independent evidence-based recommendations on the clinical and economic value of healthcare interventions. Its recommendations are widely regarded as the benchmark for healthcare decision-making and are closely followed by policymakers, clinicians and healthcare systems internationally.

About OrganOx

OrganOx is a commercial stage organ technology company, spun out of the University of Oxford in 2008, dedicated to developing technologies to improve outcomes for patients with acute or chronic organ failure. The OrganOx metra^® is a normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) platform approved in the U.S., Europe, Australia and licensed in Canada. It has been utilized in over 10,000 liver transplants to date to keep donor livers in a metabolically active state outside the body enabling longer preservation times and functional assessment of the organ prior to transplant, leading to an increased number of organs available for transplant. Learn more at www.organox.com.

About Terumo Corporation

Terumo (TSE: 4543) is a global medical innovation company. Guided by an unwavering commitment to patients, and driven by the passion of our associates, we strive to fulfil our Group Mission of “Contributing to Society through Healthcare.” Founded in Tokyo in 1921, we provide a comprehensive range of solutions in the fields of therapeutic procedures, hospital operations, and life sciences in more than 160 countries and regions.

Contacts

OrganOx Media:
Nicole Sloan
Marketing Communications and PR Manager
nicole.sloan@organox.com