FDA approves GalSafe pigs

The first genetically altered meat production animals have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

On Dec. 14 the FDA announced their approval of Intentional Genomic Alteration (IGA) in domestic pigs. The approval was given to a company called Revivicor which is working to produce medicines through pig transplants. 

These pigs known as GalSafe pigs will be used for food, the name GalSafe comes from the genetic removal of alpha-gal gene from meat. The reason for the cell removal is to allow people with an allergy to the alpha-gal genes to be able to eat red meat. 

The future goal of GalSafe pigs is to be able to use the pigs for medical uses including xenotransplants. Xenotransplants are using pigs tissues to repair tissue damage on human bodies. The failure of some xenotransplants has been linked to alpha-gal cells rejecting tissue growth. The pigs have not been approved to be used for medical purposes.  

Revivicor hopes to be in trial for producing GalSafe insulin produced from cloned pigs within the next three years. The company funded through the U.S. Department of Defense is hoping to produce vaccines, which are in the pre-trial step in production. 

The FDA preformed many exams of the pigs to ensure that they were healthy for humans to eat and not damaging to the environment.  The pigs were deemed by the FDA to not be damaging to the environment when compared to conventional domestic pigs. 

The meat from GalSafe pigs will not be sold in grocery stores to begin with, the meat will be sold through the mail