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The US Food and Drug Administration granted approval yesterday (December 14) for a genetically modified line of pigs that marks the first time a GM animal has been given the regulatory greenlight for both therapeutic development and food consumption, the agency says in a statement. The alteration knocks out alpha-gal, a sugar molecule on the surface of cells, and could help minimize allergic reactions to pork and reduce the risk of organ rejection in transplant patients.
The move represents a “a tremendous milestone for scientific innovation,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn says in the statement. “The FDA strongly supports advancing innovative animal biotechnology products that are safe for animals, safe for people, and achieve their intended results.”
Pigs with the genetic modification are known as GalSafe pigs and are made by Revivicor Inc, a subsidiary of the US biotech United Therapeutics. Research in the mid-2010s indicated that ...
