The Bridge to Life Highlights study was presented as a last-minute oral clinical trial at the 2026 International Liver Transplant Society (ILTS) Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 6-9, 2026.
DULUTH, Ga., May 11, 2026 / PRNewswire – A global multicenter study, the first of its kind, has established the first international reference framework for pediatric liver transplantation (PLT), providing a long-awaited reference framework for morbidity, complications, graft survival, and recipient outcomes in various pediatric transplant populations worldwide.
Presented as a last-minute oral clinical trial at the 2026 International Liver Transplant Society (ILTS) Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, this groundbreaking analysis addresses one of the most important unmet needs in pediatric transplantation: the lack of globally standardized outcome criteria to guide organ selection, risk stratification, and post-transplant quality evaluation. For more details, click here for the summary.
Conducted by Sapana Verma, MD, PhD, under the guidance of Prof. Andrea Schlegel from the Cleveland Clinic, the study analyzed primary pediatric liver transplants performed between 2000 and 2024 at nine high-volume transplantation centers covering North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa/Middle East.
“The globally accepted reference standards for pediatric liver transplantation are sorely lacking,” said Dr. Verma. “Our goal was to establish international reference standards for morbidity and survival after pediatric liver transplantation and develop a decision-making framework for organ selection based on data in heterogeneous pediatric subgroups.
The reference cohort presented significantly lower major morbidity, fewer renal, vascular, and biliary complications, as well as shorter hospitalization and ICU stay. Importantly, the benchmarking model was able to differentiate outcomes in heterogeneous pediatric populations, creating an evolving platform for global quality assessment and risk-adjusted outcome analysis.
Researchers plan to expand their work to a multicenter cohort of over 10,000 recipients to establish definitive global reference standards and validate outcome thresholds based on age, weight, etiology of liver disease, graft type, and recipient risk profiles.
“As pediatric transplantation moves towards more individualized organ selection and broader use of advanced preservation technologies, these newly established reference standards are an essential foundation for the next generation of clinical decisions. While benchmarking defines what is achievable, advanced preservation strategies like HOPE offer a promising path to bring high-risk transplants closer to benchmarking outcomes.
About Bridge to Life Ltd Bridge to Life Ltd is a global innovator in organ preservation technologies and solutions, offering leading products such as Belzer UW®, EasiSlush®, and the VitaSmart Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion System. Focusing on product quality, innovation, and accessibility, the company serves major transplantation centers and organ procurement organizations worldwide, with whom it partners.
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Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/une-etude-mondiale-revolutionnaire-etablit-le-premier-cadre-de-reference-international-pour-la-transplantation-hepatique-pediatrique-302767593.html
