Pharming in mammals Plant-Made Pharmaceuticals (PMPs), also referred to as Biopharming, is a sub-sector of the biotechnology industry that involves the process of genetically engineering plants so that they can produce certain types of therapeutically important proteins and associate molecules such as peptides and secondary metabolites. The proteins and molecules can then be harvested and used to produce pharmaceuticals. The products of pharming are recombinant proteins or their metabolic products. Drugs made from recombinant proteins potentially have greater efficacy and fewer side effects than small organic molecules (which are often screened as potential drugs) because their action can be more precisely targeted toward the cause of a disease rather than treatment of symptoms. Recombinant proteins are most commonly produced using bacteria or yeast in a bioreactor, but pharming offers the advantage to the producer that it does not require expensive infrastructure, and production capacity can be quickly scaled to meet demand. It is estimated that the expense of producing a recombinant protein drug via pharming will be less than 70% of the current cost. In the United States, Transgenic plants including but not limited to those which produce pharmaceuticals, are regulated by three government agencies which comprise the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology established in 1986. Companies in this industry hope that proteins made from plants can be used to develop treatments for some of the most serious diseases and conditions such as cancer, diabetes, HIV, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, Hepatitis C, and arthritis, but no such products have as yet been approved. Biopharmaceuticals are medical drugs (see pharmacology) produced using biotechnology. They are proteins (including antibodies), nucleic acids (DNA, RNA or antisense oligonucleotides) used for therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic purposes, and are produced by means other than direct extraction from a native (non-engineered) biological source. [1] In 2002, ProdiGene was fined $250,000 and ordered by the USDA to pay over $3 million in cleanup costs after allowing a fraction of a bushel of volunteer pharm corn to comingle with the soybean crop later planted in that field. Although the chance of gene flow between species is claimed to be low and there was in this case no threat to consumers, the USDA has a zero tolerance policy. ProdiGene has since revised its protocols and resumed operations in Nebraska. In 2005, Anheuser-Busch threatened to boycott rice grown in Missouri because of plans by Ventria Bioscience to grow pharm rice in the state. A compromise was reached, but Ventria has withdrawn its 2006 permit to plant in Missouri due to unrelated circumstances. The company's field trials in North Carolina are expected to continue. When a biopharmaceutical is developed, the company will typically apply for a patent, with the European requirements are perceived as more difficult to satisfy. The total number of patents granted for biopharmaceuticals has risen significantly since the 1970s. In 1978 the total patents granted was 30. This had climbed to 15,600 in 1995, and by 2001 there were 34,527 patent applications. Within the United States, Transgenic plants including but not limited to those which produce pharmaceuticals, are regulated by three government agencies which comprise the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology established in 1986. Companies in this industry hope that proteins made from plants can be used to develop treatments for some of the most serious diseases and conditions such as cancer, diabetes, HIV, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, Hepatitis C, and arthritis, but no such products have as yet been approved. Biopharmaceuticals are medical drugs (see pharmacology) produced using biotechnology. They are proteins (including antibodies), nucleic acids (DNA, RNA or antisense oligonucleotides) used for therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic purposes, and are produced by means other than direct extraction from a native (non-engineered) biological source. [1] In 2002, ProdiGene was fined $250,000 and ordered by the USDA to pay over $3 million.