WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paragonix Technologies, a pioneer in organ preservation technologies, organ offer, and surgical recovery services, today announced the publication in the Journal of Cardiac Failure an analysis of the retrospective GUARDIAN-Heart Registry associating economic benefits and clinical improvements with use of the Paragonix SherpaPak® Cardiac Transport System compared with conventional ice storage. The GUARDIAN investigator-initiated analysis included 486 propensity-matched donation after brain death (DBD) donor heart transplants across 18 U.S. centers.
Heart transplantation remains the definitive, gold-standard treatment for eligible patients with advanced heart failure yet demand for donor hearts continues to outpace supply. While advanced organ preservation technologies may help expand the donor pool by supporting longer ischemic times, broader geographic recovery and greater use of extended-criteria donors, they also introduce new economic considerations for transplant programs. Those considerations come as the overall cost of heart transplantation continues to rise, driven in part by hospital care, intensive peri-operative support and post-transplant complications. Complications such as primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and the need for mechanical circulatory support (MCS) alone can add approximately $167,433 per patient—highlighting the need to evaluate preservation technologies not only by their upfront cost, but by their association with costs across the full transplant episode of care. 1
“As transplant programs work to expand access to donor hearts, it’s important to understand the broader impact of the technologies that support transplantation,” said lead author Dr. Daniel Goldstein, Vice Chairman, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Montefiore Einstein. “Preservation is one part of a much larger care pathway, and this analysis provides important insight into how preservation strategy is associated with resource utilization and costs well beyond the time an organ arrives at the transplant center.”
The GUARDIAN analysis evaluated more than 1,400 adult DBD heart transplant recipients across 18 U.S. academic centers, resulting in propensity-matched cohorts of 243 SherpaPak System and 243 ice storage patients. Across all measured cost categories, the SherpaPak System cohort was associated with lower costs compared with conventional ice storage. Before accounting for the preservation system itself, the modeled differences represented $34,174 in lower post-transplant costs per patient. After the retail cost of SherpaPak System was included, the analysis estimated net savings of $14,982 per patient with the SherpaPak System when compared with ice storage.
Researchers also tested whether the cost finding would hold if the underlying cost assumptions were changed. Rather than relying on a single set of estimates, they repeatedly recalculated total costs using Monte Carlo simulations 10,000 times while randomly raising or lowering key inputs such as ICU care, hospital stays, readmissions, mechanical support, and the cost of the SherpaPak System. The results of these simulations demonstrated that the SherpaPak System was the most cost-effective option in 72% of the cases.
“Complications such as PGD and the need for mechanical circulatory support can require substantial post-transplant resources and add significantly to the cost of care,” said Dr. Daniel Goldstein. “The lower costs observed across measured categories in the SherpaPak System cohort highlight why it’s important to look beyond the upfront cost of preservation and consider the full arc of transplant care.”
Full details and study limitations can be found HERE.
About Paragonix Technologies
Paragonix Technologies, a Getinge company, is redefining how donor organs are protected and delivered, setting a new standard of care for transplantation worldwide. Built on the belief that every donated organ deserves the highest level of precision and respect, Paragonix partners with transplant centers and OPOs to improve outcomes through clinically proven preservation technologies and expert, hands-on procurement support.
Our nationwide transplant services provide 24/7 access to surgical recovery teams, logistics coordination, and clinical excellence — streamlining the recovery process and expanding access to life-saving organs. Combined with real-time digital monitoring, transparent data sharing, and the world’s largest preservation-focused clinical registries, Paragonix aims to deliver every possible advantage to healthcare providers and patients alike. For more information, visit www.paragonix.com.
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Media Contact:
Kaitlyn Labbe
Marketing Communications Manager
marketing@paragonixtechnologies.com
References:
1, Goldstein, et al. Controlled Hypothermic Preservation of Donor Hearts and Posttransplant Outcomes: A Propensity-Score Analysis with Cost Modeling
