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July 31, 2007Take a pill, thank a goat.While the debate over introducing genetically engineered animals into America's food chain has yet to be resolved, it seems that we are somewhat closer to having products from transgenic animals in our medicine cabinets, at least according to the New York Times: A herd of goats engineered to produce a therapeutic human protein called antithrombin in their milk live on a farm in central Massachusetts. The animals are owned by a company called GTC Biotherapeutics, which extracts the protein for use in treating a human hereditary condition in which people lack antithrombin, which helps keep blood from clotting. GTC’s drug has already been approved in Europe, and the company is now conducting clinical trials in hopes of filing for United States approval early next year. Other companies, too, are at work on medicines that would be extracted from a transgenic animal’s milk or blood, saying the approach might be less expensive than other ways of making protein drugs. Pharming Group, a Dutch company, has applied for European approval of a drug made in the milk of transgenic rabbits. Pharmathene, based in Annapolis, Md., is developing transgenic goats whose milk produces an antidote to nerve gas. Now, does this mean that the Department of Homeland Security will eventually start running "Got Milk?" ad campaigns? Posted by Paul Howard at July 31, 2007 04:02 PM CommentsPost a comment |
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