History & Mission

The International Xenotransplantation Association (IXA) was established at the Montreal '98 Congress of The Transplantation Society, with the aim of providing a forum for those with a special interest in Xenotransplantation.

The IXA’s core mission is closely aligned with the principles outlined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biological Diversity. This international agreement describes international norms for the use of genetically modified animals “to contribute to the development of human welfare and the promotion of environmental conservation on a global basis.” The Cartagena Protocol specifically seeks to “promote access to and transfer of technologies, including biotechnology” for the advancement of human health, and “to ensure the development of appropriate procedures to enhance the safety of biotechnology in the context of the Convention’s overall goal of reducing all potential threats to biological diversity, taking also into account the risks to human health.”

The IXA’s mission is to promote xenotransplantation as a safe, ethical, and effective therapeutic modality by:

1. fostering the science of xenotransplantation through promotion of ethical clinical and pre-clinical research, productive discourse, and collaboration;


2. educating health care providers and lay persons through broad, representative participation in interactive public debate; and


3. guiding the development of scientifically sound, internationally consistent public policy that is responsive to new developments in the field and acknowledges varying social, ethical and legal frameworks.