The FDA approves "intentional genomic alteration" in a line of domestic pigs, both for human consumption and for therapeutic uses.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himFDA approves "Intentional Genomic Alteration" (IGA), the first of its kind, in a line of domestic pigs, both for human consumption and for potential therapeutic uses. That is to say that the pigs will be modified to be "hypoallergenic". A beautiful attack on ethics which, in the face of economic pressures, dissolves into nothingness.
Specifically, the approval of the US Food and Health Safety Authority concerns the so-called GalSafe pigs (without alpha gallons), a transgenic pig produced by the Revivicor company in order to eliminate a specific sugar, galactose, from the animal's cells. -alpha-1,3-galactose, an oligosaccharide found in red meat (pork, beef and lamb) and which can cause an allergic reaction known as "alpha-gallon syndrome" (AGS, hence the name of GMO pigs) .
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And not only that: the use of the animal for both pharmaceutical purposes will range from the production of heparin to the use of organs and tissues for transplants.
"Today's first approval of an animal biotechnology product for both food and as a potential source for biomedical use represents a huge milestone for scientific innovation," says FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn. As part of our public health mission, the FDA strongly supports the promotion of innovative animal biotechnology products that are safe for animals, safe for people and that achieve desired results. "
First-of-its-kind intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in an animal (GalSafe pigs) approved today by FDA for both human food consumption & for potential therapeutic uses. IGA is intended to eliminate alpha-gal sugar on the surface of the pigs’ cells. https://t.co/XmPWnd3tDO pic.twitter.com/abr1biNr16
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) December 14, 2020
Medical use would appear to be the main reason for the FDA clearance that “GalSafe pigs can potentially provide material to produce human medical products free of detectable alpha-gallon sugar. For example, they could potentially be used as a source of medicinal products, such as the blood thinning drug heparin, devoid of detectable alpha-gallon sugar. The tissues and organs of GalSafe pigs could potentially rule out the problem of immune rejection in patients receiving xenografts, as alpha-gallon sugar is believed to be a cause of rejection in patients.
Galsafe pork is not the first transgenic animal which got the green light in the United States and, indeed, adds to goats that produce an active ingredient in their milk approved in 2009 and hens that lay eggs with proteins that can be used as drugs in 2015. The FDA has also approved in the past the fastest growing transgenic salmon. However, this is the first case of approval for both medical and food use.
All normal? We dare to say yes, if we look at the profits.
According to The Guardian, the company that obtained the authorization for GM pigs, United Therapeutics Corp, the same company that announced the cloning of the first Dolly sheep in 1996, has put its hands on: "We currently have no intention to directly sell meat obtained from these animals. The most immediate goal is to focus on organ transplants for patients suffering from alpha-gallon syndrome (the one that is also triggered by the tick bite) ". He then pointed out that "the current gene modification is only one of 10 modifications currently being used in pigs for the preclinical xenograft development program that we hope will one day help address the severe shortage of transplantable organs for humans in need".
Walter Sánchez-Suárez, veterinarian and expert in animal behavior and welfare and of the US NGO Mercy for Animals says it all: "Genetic modification is a complex tool with great potential but also the use of which raises serious ethical issues and practices. This tool is simply used to support the financial interests of animal production companies ”.
Source: FDA / The Guardian
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- Hulk pigs: the horror behind genetically modified pigs in Cambodia
- An army of GMO mosquitoes are being released in Florida and Texas without assessing their environmental impact
