Animal Pharming: Past Experience and Future Prospects

Abstract

‘Pharming’ can be defined as the use of transgenic animals or plants for the production of pharmaceutical proteins or peptides. Since the 1980s it has been proclaimed as an efficient and cost-effective method for the production of biopharmaceuticals. In 2006, the first therapeutic product produced in the milk of transgenic livestock gained approval, ATryn®, a recombinant form of human antithrombin III, produced by GTC Biotherapeutics. This was an important milestone but a long time coming, too long for some biotechnology companies. The near future will show if pharming can regain investor confidence, and whether society and the pharmaceutical industry will accept transgenic livestock as an alternative to more established production methods. There is cause for optimism for biopharmaceuticals represent a considerable and growing market opportunity and animal pharming has made considerable strides. In two decades a novel production platform has been established, new and groundbreaking technologies developed and the necessary regulatory framework put in place. This article highlights some of the obstacles pharming has faced and what the near future might bring.