Biopharm
Issues and News Analysis
From SEE Biotech and BioTrek at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Prodigene's website
Ames briefing by FDA and USDA/APHIS
Des Moines Register clippings
BIO's website
Iowa Corn Growers
Back to SEE Biotech
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BiopharmIssues and News AnalysisFrom SEE Biotech and BioTrek at the University of Wisconsin-Madison | ||
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Prodigene case Prodigene's website Ames briefing by FDA and USDA/APHIS Des Moines Register clippings BIO's website Iowa Corn Growers Back to SEE Biotech |
Links, clippings, analysis and comment | ||
| Whether or not pharmaceuticals, and possibly industrial enzymes, will be produced in genetically engineered crop plants will likely be a big issue in 2003. Field testing of such crops has already created some surprising controversy. | |||
| In Nebraska, a company named Prodigene failed to prevent "volunteer" corn from the previous year's test plot from growing amongst a crop of non-engineered soybeans. This would usually not be a big problem, but because the previous year's corn was a genetically engineered pharmaceutical test crop, USDA ordered 500,000 bushels of soybeans destroyed. The amount was so large because once the beans were mixed with other beans at the elevator, all were considered adulterated. On Dec. 6, USDA fined Prodigene $3 million (click for USDA's release.) (Click for Prodigene's release on the topic) | |||
| In Iowa, a field of similar corn, grown by the same company, was ordered torched. | |||
| Some Iowa farmers and politicians had been looking forward to biopharmaceutical crop production as a way to improve Iowa's struggling farm economy. However, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the national biotech lobby, has suggested that pharmaceutical-producing crops should not be grown in the corn belt. This policy was clarified in a letter to Iowa Senator Grassley dated Dec. 2, 2002 Click for .pdf file of BIO's letter. On Dec. 4, USDA Secretary Ann Veneman brought up that topic at a speech in Washington. | |||
| Federal regulations which will cover these issues are still being written. Two regulatory agency officials spoke at a public forum at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, Nov. 20, 2002. Write to request copies of the slide sets used at that meeting | |||
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