THE world’s first person receiving a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig two months ago has died, the U.S. Maryland hospital that performed the surgery announced Wednesday.

David Bennett, the 57-year-old American patient, died Tuesday at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). Doctors did not give an exact cause of his death, saying his condition had begun deteriorating several days earlier.

After it became clear that he would not recover, Bennett was given compassionate palliative care. He was able to communicate with his family during his final hours, said the UMMC in a release.

Bennett received the first-of-its-kind transplant on Jan. 7, and lived for two months following the surgery. He had been deemed ineligible for a conventional heart transplant, and the surgery was the only currently available option for him, according to the UMMC.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for the surgery on New Year’s Eve through its expanded access (compassionate use) provision.

After the surgery, the transplanted heart performed very well for several weeks without any signs of rejection, according to the UMMC.

(Xinhua)