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69% of Britons Want Freeze on GM Animal to Human Transplant Contact: Wendy Higgins, Tel. +44 0171 607 9533 In an opinion poll published today, an overwhelming 69% of Britons surveyed want a freeze on the development of transplants of genetically-modified animal organs to humans (xenotransplantation) to allow for a full public debate. The survey comes one month after alarming revelations that pig organ transplant patients will need to agree never to have children and have their current and future sexual partners registered and monitored by medical authorities. These conditions form part of a regime of highly intrusive and impractical safe-guards that patients should agree to abide by for the rest of their lives to avoid the potentially devastating spread of highly infectious pig viruses to humans. They were published in a draft report by Britain's regulatory body on animal-human transplants, UKXIRA (UK Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority). On Monday 6th December, UKXIRA is holding its annual meeting at the Department of Health, at which it will discuss the report's recommendations. The first applications for xenotransplantation clinical human trials in this country have now been made. Full details have not been disclosed by the Department of Health. Britain already has a herd of GM pigs bred for organ transplants, owned by Imutran, Cambridge-based subsiduary of Swiss bio-tech giant Novartis. The pigs have been genetically modified with human DNA in a crude attempt to solve the major obstacle of organ rejection. Michelle Thew, BUAV Chief Executive says: "This opinion poll shows that over two thirds of the population want a freeze on pig to human organ transplants and a full public debate - this cannot be ignored. The BUAV is calling for a moratorium to enable full public consultation on this potentially dangerous technology. People are not being informed of the potential risks of virus transfer to the wider population. Have we not learned anything from AIDS or CJD?" PHOTO-CALL: 11am, Thursday 2nd Dec - Pig/human 'hybrids' contained in a simulated 'bio-secure' area by guards in white bio-hazard suits & protective masks will gather outside Department of Health (Richmond House, 79 Whitehall) to hand in the BUAV/NOP opinion poll. ENDS Notes to editors: 1. Further briefing and regional variations of opinion poll available by
calling 0171 607 9533.
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