Pilot, open, prospective, randomized, multicenter trial on quality assessment of declined liver grafts by normothermic Ex vivo machine perfusion for decreasing time to Transplantation (ExTra)
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Nathanael Raschzok at the Department of Surgery, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Extra-Trial aims to reduce liver transplant waiting times by evaluating declined donor organs using normothermic machine perfusion (NMP). Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with 1.85 million euros, this prospective, randomized, multicenter trial will enroll patients with a ReMELD-Na score ≤ 21 who currently face long waiting times due to ineligibility for exception points.
In the experimental arm, patients are offered liver grafts previously declined in the standard allocation process. These organs undergo quality assessment during NMP and, if suitable, are transplanted. The study’s primary endpoint is time-to-transplant; secondary endpoints include safety, graft utilization, and cost-effectiveness.
Conducted in collaboration with all German liver transplant centers, Eurotransplant, and supported by an international advisory board, the ExTra Study has the potential to establish NMP-based organ assessment as a clinical standard—expanding the donor pool and improving access to life-saving transplantation.
Info
- Project lead: Prof. Dr. Nathanael Raschzok
- Team: Priv.-Doz. Dr. Simon Moosburner, MHBA, Dr. Joseph Gaßner, Mateja Mandac, Prof. Dr. Igor M. Sauer, Prof. Dr. Dominik P. Modest, Prof. Dr. Johann Pratschke
- Duration 2024 - 2030
- Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft