ATryn Manufactured in Genetically Engineered Goats

For the first time in 20 years, a biotech company is on the verge of winning approval from the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency for their anti-clotting drug manufactured using genetically altered goats.

GTC Biotherapeutics has successfully created goats that produce ATryn, a recombinant form of human antithrombin, in their milk. ATryn is tailored for use in patients with hereditary antithrombin deficiency (HD) who normally receive antithrombin through donated blood in addition to other treatments such as anticoagulants.

GTC keeps 1,400 goats on a farm in the central Massachusetts town of Charlton, essentially using the herd as a living drug factory. It alters the goats’ genes before they are born so they produce a human blood protein in their milk. The milk is then purified, and the human protein extracted to make an injectible anticlotting drug for people with a hereditary lack of the protein.

Good news for the estimated one in 3,000 to 5,000 people with HD.

The Boston Globe, June 3, 2006

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