[Featured Stock] Optipharm, Alternative Solution to Organ Shortage for Transplantation... Highlighting Pig Organ Technology

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Optipharm's stock price has been strong for two consecutive days. The news that the first-ever pig heart transplant surgery in the medical field in the United States was successful appears to be influencing the stock price.

As of 9:35 AM on the 12th, Optipharm was trading at 14,350 KRW, up 23.71% (2,750 KRW) compared to the previous trading day.

The stock price surged to the daily limit the day before and continued its upward trend on this day as well.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the U.S. announced on the 10th (local time) that "David Bennett, a 57-year-old male patient with end-stage heart disease, is recovering on the third day after receiving a genetically modified pig heart transplant to prevent immune rejection." The research team stated, "Three days after the surgery, Bennett's heart rate and blood pressure are normal," and added, "This surgery is the first to prove that a genetically modified animal heart can function like a human heart without acute rejection."

Dr. Bartley Griffith, who performed the surgery, said, "This is a groundbreaking surgery that brings us one step closer to solving the shortage of transplant organs." According to the U.S. government, there are currently about 110,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list, and more than 6,000 people each year do not receive transplant surgery.

Cases of partial pig organ transplants into humans are also increasing. Pig heart valves have been successfully transplanted into humans in recent years. There have been cases where diabetic patients received pig pancreatic cells, and pig skin is temporarily transplanted to burn patients.

Biotechnology company Optipharm transplanted kidneys obtained from pigs that had immune rejection-causing substances removed and human genes inserted into monkeys. Optipharm stated, "This monkey survived for 86 days."