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Health

Genetically modified goats can produce cancer drugs in their milk

By Alice Klein

16 June 2020

Goats

Goats’ mammary glands can produce large amounts of proteins

E+/Getty Images

Goats can be genetically modified to produce a common cancer drug in their milk, which could slash its production costs.

Many of the new blockbuster drugs that are used as cancer treatments are more expensive than older medicines, because they are complex proteins called monoclonal antibodies that are complicated to make.

The bowel cancer drug cetuximab, for example, is produced by mouse cells that have been genetically engineered to make a specific monoclonal antibody. This expensive manufacturing process means the drug, which is sold under the name Erbitux, …

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