Oxford and Terumo launch six-year partnership to advance organ perfusion technologies
Global medical innovation company Terumo Corporation will provide over $9m USD of financial support, access to proprietary technology and world-leading expertise in medical device development to support a major six-year research collaboration with the University of Oxford exploring advances in transplantation and future patient-connected therapeutic technologies.
Oxford and Terumo launch six-year partnership to advance organ perfusion technologies: Image credit: Photography by Keiko Ikeuchi
The Terumo-Oxford Collaborative Research Programme brings together researchers from Oxford's Medical Sciences and Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Divisions with Terumo's strengths in product development, manufacturing, and bringing healthcare innovations to patients around the world.
The collaboration further strengthens the relationship between the University of Oxford and Terumo, building on the momentum created by Terumo’s acquisition of OrganOx in 2025. The programme will be managed by a steering committee consisting leadership from OrganOx, the University of Oxford, and two independent advisors.
The programme aims to expand the use of organ perfusion technologies beyond their established role in transplantation and explore how they might support new approaches to treatment development and delivery.
Professor Constantin Coussios, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Oxford and Co-ordinating Director of the Terumo-Oxford Collaborative Research Programme, said: 'OrganOx demonstrated what can happen when world-class research, engineering and clinical expertise come together around a major healthcare challenge. This new collaboration allows us to build on that foundation and explore entirely new possibilities for organ perfusion technologies.
Our ambition is to investigate how these technologies can support transplantation and future therapeutic applications with the goal of improving outcomes for patients.'
Hikaru Samejima, Chief Executive Officer, Terumo said: 'For more than a century, Terumo has pursued its mission of contributing to society through healthcare. This new partnership with the University of Oxford brings together world-class research and global healthcare expertise with a shared purpose: creating new value for patients. We are excited by the opportunities ahead and look forward to supporting research that can help shape the future of healthcare and improve patient lives around the world.'
Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: 'Oxford’s excellence in research is matched by our ambition to translate discovery into innovations that can change lives. OrganOx is a powerful example of that journey: born from pioneering Oxford research, developed through a successful University spinout, and now being scaled by Terumo to transform organ transplantation and patient outcomes around the world.
'Our partnership with Terumo builds on that success, bringing together Oxford’s world-leading research with Terumo’s deep industry expertise and global reach. By giving our researchers access to the knowledge and experience needed to translate new discoveries into practical applications, this collaboration will help create the next generation of life-changing technologies for transplantation and patient care. This is an exciting next chapter in Oxford’s relationship with Terumo, and I look forward to seeing the discoveries and innovations that this partnership will make possible.'
