OneLegacy Partners with XVIVO and Perfusion Solution to Launch the Western U.S.’ First Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion Center
OneLegacy, the nonprofit organ procurement organization (OPO) serving Southern California, has announced the launch of the first in-house Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) program at an organ procurement organization in the Western United States. Developed in partnership with global medical technology company XVIVO and clinical perfusion specialist Perfusion Solution, the initiative is expected to expand access to donor lungs for transplantation by enabling advanced evaluation and preservation of donated organs outside the human body.
The new program, located at OneLegacy’s Azusa Recovery and Transplant Center, introduces advanced organ preservation technology that allows donated lungs to remain functional for extended periods while transplant specialists assess their condition. By providing additional time to evaluate donor lungs that might otherwise be declined, the EVLP program aims to increase the number of lungs available for transplantation, improve surgical planning, and ultimately help save more lives.
The collaboration represents an important milestone in organ transplantation in the United States, particularly for the Western region, where more than 70 transplant centers are expected to benefit from the expanded access to advanced lung preservation technology.
Advancing Lung Transplantation Through Innovation
Lung transplantation remains one of the most complex procedures in modern medicine, largely because donor lungs are among the most delicate organs recovered for transplantation.
Unlike kidneys or livers, lungs are particularly susceptible to injury during the donation process, transportation, and preservation. As a result, many donated lungs that have the potential to function successfully after transplantation are declined because clinicians have limited time and information to determine whether the organs are suitable.
Traditional preservation methods rely primarily on cooling donated organs during transport, which limits the amount of time available for assessment before transplantation.
The introduction of Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion changes this approach by allowing lungs to continue functioning outside the body in a carefully controlled environment, giving physicians valuable opportunities to evaluate organ performance before making transplant decisions.
First In-House EVLP Program at a Western U.S. Organ Procurement Organization
The newly launched EVLP program distinguishes OneLegacy as the first organ procurement organization in the Western United States to operate an in-house lung perfusion program using this advanced technology.
The initiative combines the specialized recovery infrastructure available at the Azusa Recovery and Transplant Center with XVIVO’s XPS™ Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion platform and Perfusion Solution’s experienced perfusion specialists, clinical services, and technical support.
Together, these resources create a regional center capable of preserving and evaluating donor lungs before they are distributed to transplant centers across the western United States.
The integrated model enables transplant programs to access advanced organ assessment without needing to establish independent EVLP capabilities at every hospital.
How Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion Works
Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion is an advanced organ preservation technique that maintains donated lungs in a functioning state outside the human body.
After recovery from an organ donor, the lungs are connected to a specialized perfusion system that circulates oxygen and a nutrient-rich preservation solution through the lung tissue.
Rather than remaining inactive in cold storage, the lungs continue to function in conditions designed to closely resemble those inside the body.
During this period, transplant specialists monitor multiple indicators of lung performance, including:
- Oxygen exchange
- Blood circulation
- Lung compliance
- Airway pressures
- Tissue integrity
- Overall organ function
This real-time evaluation provides significantly more information than traditional preservation methods, allowing clinicians to make more informed decisions regarding transplantation.
Expanding the Donor Pool
One of the greatest challenges in lung transplantation is the shortage of suitable donor organs.
Although thousands of individuals become organ donors each year, only a relatively small percentage of donated lungs are ultimately transplanted.
Many lungs are declined because physicians cannot confidently determine whether the organs will function adequately after transplantation within the limited timeframe provided by conventional preservation methods.
EVLP helps address this challenge by allowing lungs that may initially appear marginal to undergo additional evaluation.
Some lungs that would previously have been rejected can be carefully assessed, preserved, and ultimately approved for transplantation if they demonstrate acceptable function.
This expanded evaluation process has the potential to increase the number of lungs available for patients awaiting transplantation.
Providing More Time for Clinical Decision-Making
Time is one of the most critical factors in organ transplantation.
Traditionally, transplant teams have only a narrow window to recover, transport, evaluate, and implant donor lungs before organ quality begins to decline.
By extending preservation time, EVLP offers several important advantages.
Clinical teams gain additional hours to:
- Thoroughly assess donor lung function.
- Review clinical findings.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary transplant teams.
- Schedule operating rooms more efficiently.
- Prepare transplant recipients.
- Arrange transportation logistics.
This additional flexibility helps reduce time-sensitive pressures while improving confidence in clinical decision-making.
Increasing Access Across the Western United States
OneLegacy’s EVLP center has been designed not only to support Southern California but also to serve as a regional resource for transplant centers throughout the western United States.
According to the organization, more than 70 transplant centers across the region may utilize the new facility.
Rather than requiring every transplant center to invest independently in specialized lung perfusion equipment and personnel, the centralized model provides shared access to advanced preservation technology.
This regional approach can improve efficiency while making advanced organ evaluation available to a broader network of healthcare providers.
Honoring Every Organ Donor’s Gift
Prasad Garimella, Chief Executive Officer of OneLegacy, said the organization’s mission has always centered on maximizing the lifesaving impact of every organ donation.
According to Garimella, OneLegacy has worked alongside hospitals and transplant centers for nearly five decades to advance organ donation through innovation and collaboration.
He described implementation of EVLP as another important step toward ensuring more donated organs ultimately reach patients waiting for transplants.
By expanding opportunities to preserve and evaluate lungs, the organization hopes to honor donors and their families by increasing the likelihood that every donated organ can be successfully transplanted.
XVIVO Highlights Importance of Collaboration
XVIVO, the global medical technology company supplying the XPS™ Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion platform, views the partnership as an example of how collaboration can strengthen the transplant ecosystem.
Chief Executive Officer Christoffer Rosenblad emphasized that advancing transplantation requires more than technological innovation alone.
According to Rosenblad, successful progress depends on partnerships that expand access to advanced medical technologies while improving coordination among healthcare organizations involved in transplantation.
He noted that XVIVO remains committed to a long-term vision in which fewer patients die while waiting for organ transplants.
The partnership with OneLegacy and Perfusion Solution represents another step toward achieving that objective.
Perfusion Solution Provides Specialized Expertise
Perfusion Solution contributes an equally important component to the new EVLP program through its experienced clinical personnel and perfusion services.
The company provides specialized perfusion experts responsible for operating sophisticated organ preservation systems while supporting transplant teams throughout the evaluation process.
Jon Bohannen, Chief Donor Service Officer and Executive Vice President of Perfusion Solution, said the partnership demonstrates how organizations with complementary expertise can work together to improve transplantation outcomes.
He noted that combining OneLegacy’s regional recovery infrastructure with XVIVO’s technology and Perfusion Solution’s clinical expertise creates a model capable of expanding transplant opportunities while improving coordination across the healthcare system.
Addressing a Critical Organ Shortage
Demand for lung transplantation continues to exceed the supply of suitable donor organs.
More than 1,000 patients in the United States remain on waiting lists for lifesaving lung transplants at any given time.
Many suffer from advanced respiratory diseases such as:
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Severe emphysema
- Other end-stage lung conditions
For these individuals, transplantation often represents the only remaining treatment option.
Unfortunately, limited organ availability means many patients wait months or even years before a suitable donor becomes available.
Some patients deteriorate medically or die before receiving a transplant.
Technologies such as EVLP seek to improve these outcomes by expanding the number of donor lungs considered appropriate for transplantation.
Improving Organ Utilization
One of the major goals of EVLP is increasing organ utilization.
Historically, some donated lungs have been declined because transplant teams lacked sufficient information regarding organ quality.
With real-time functional assessment, clinicians can better distinguish between lungs that are unsuitable and those that can be safely transplanted.
This reduces unnecessary organ discard while improving confidence among transplant surgeons.
Greater utilization ultimately benefits:
- Organ donors
- Donor families
- Transplant recipients
- Healthcare systems
- Organ procurement organizations
Every additional successful transplant represents another opportunity to save or dramatically improve a patient’s life.
Supporting Future Innovation
The launch of OneLegacy’s EVLP program reflects broader trends within transplantation medicine toward increasingly sophisticated organ preservation technologies.
Researchers continue developing new approaches that extend preservation times, improve organ repair, and expand the number of transplantable organs.
Future innovations may include:
- Advanced organ rehabilitation techniques
- Artificial intelligence-assisted organ assessment
- Enhanced preservation solutions
- Extended preservation durations
- Personalized donor-recipient matching technologies
As these technologies mature, regional centers like OneLegacy’s EVLP program may serve as important platforms for integrating future innovations into routine clinical practice.
The establishment of the Western United States’ first in-house Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion program at an organ procurement organization marks a significant advancement in lung transplantation.
Through collaboration between OneLegacy, XVIVO, and Perfusion Solution, the new EVLP center provides transplant teams with advanced tools to evaluate, preserve, and utilize donor lungs more effectively than ever before.
By extending preservation time, improving organ assessment, and expanding access for more than 70 transplant centers across the region, the initiative has the potential to increase the number of successful lung transplants while honoring the generosity of organ donors and their families.
As demand for donor organs continues to outpace supply, innovations such as Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion represent an important step toward strengthening the nation’s transplant infrastructure, improving organ utilization, and giving more patients the opportunity to receive the lifesaving transplants they urgently need.
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