Pharm Animals Crank Out Drugs

GTC Biotherapeutics is among several companies worldwide perfecting the art of "pharming" -- genetically modifying animals to churn out drugs for disorders like hemophilia and cancer. The first government-approved drug from transgenic animals, GTC's anti-clotting agent ATryn, was approved in Europe late last year, vindicating biotech's years-long quest to steer animal husbandry in entirely new directions.

With the approval of the anti-clotting agent, the drug industry will now likely increase the use of transgenic animals, says Robert Kay, CEO of Origen Therapeutics. Kay predicted drug makers will try to develop several transgenic animal "systems," including mice, rats, goats, cows, pigs, sheep and chickens.