OrganOx, a medical technology spinout from the University of Oxford, has been named a finalist for the 2025 MacRobert Award – the UK’s most prestigious prize for engineering innovation.
Founded in 2008, OrganOx was co-created by Professor Constantin Coussios, a Fellow of Magdalen College, and transplant surgeon Professor Peter Friend. Their pioneering OrganOx metra keeps donor livers (and now kidneys) alive and functioning outside of the body for several days. This means longer preservation time, real-time viability testing, and even opening possibilities to help patients avoid transplants altogether.
Since 2018, the OrganOx metra has been used in over 6,000 liver transplants across 12 countries, helping increase transplant volumes by up to 30%.
OrganOx is also leading work on extra-corporeal liver support, using genetically modified pig or discarded human organs to support liver function outside the body, which is a potential lifeline for thousands with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey CBE FRS said, ‘OrganOx exemplifies Oxford’s knack for combining and effectively translating technological innovation and the very best of medical science for patient and societal impact.’
The winner of the 2025 MacRobert Award will be announced on 8 July.