FDA approves gene-edited pigs resistant to costly swine disease

British animal genetics company Genus on Wednesday said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its PRP gene edit under its PRRS Resistant Pig ("PRP") programme for use in the US food supply chain, reported Reuters. 

The gene edit is designed to provide pigs resistance to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a disease affecting swine globally, whose symptoms include fever, respiratory distress, premature births.

PRRS caused an estimated $1.2 billion per year in lost production in the US pork industry from 2016 to 2020, an 80% increase from a decade earlier, according to an analysis published in 2024 by an Iowa State University expert.

In its capital market update in November 2023, Genus had said that its PRP is resistant to prevalent PRRS strains.

Genus' shares rose as much as 30% to a near six-month high, and were on track for their biggest one-day gain since December 2008.

PRP won't really start affecting Genus' income statement until fiscal year 2027, but it could supercharge growth from then on, said Seb Jantet, research analyst at Panmure Liberum.

As the US is a net exporter of pork, the main issue for Genus is reciprocal tariffs which could reduce the ability of US producers to export pork to Japan, Canada and Mexico, the brokerage said in the note.