PPL Therapeutics, the commercial offshoot of the Roslin Institute, announced a deal with German firm Bayer last week aimed at developing a new treatment for cystic fibrosis and emphysema. PPL has bred genetically altered sheep that produce the human protein alpha-1-antitrypsin in their milk. Bayer will develop a nebuliser to administer the protein to patients, and has pledged to fund clinical trials. 'This is a very good indication that PPL will become profitable' said Dr Ron James, director of PPL. The company saw its shares drop in value last week, following concerns over the safety of the use of pig organs for human transplants - another one of its research projects.
Meanwhile, shares in Oxford BioMedica rose by 19 per cent after the firm announced it had discovered 23 new genes involved in heart disease, cancer and arthritis. The AIM-listed UK Company is planning to move up to a main stock exchange listing early next year.
Lastly, US food companies say there is little evidence of a consumer backlash against genetically modified (GM) foods, despite the recent efforts of pressure groups. However, some food producers have nonetheless decided to eliminate GM ingredients from their products, including Gerber Products Co., the US's biggest baby food manufacturer. 'Some companies made a decision for marketing reasons to get out of biotech' said a spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America.
Sources and References
-
PPL gets new cash as Bayer rejoins venture
-
PPL Therapeutics renews Bayer link for development of sheep's milk drug
-
Oxford BioMedica up on gene discoveries
-
US food companies see little biotech backlash
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.