An international survey shows that most Danes support using GM plants for production of pharmaceuticals. In this respect Danes are in line with citizens from the U.S., Israel, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic.  |
The report
The role of means and goals in technology acceptance
A differentiated landscape of public perceptions of pharming.
Rafael Pardo, Margret Engelhard, Kristin Hagen, Rikke Bagger Jørgensen, Eckard Rehbinder, Angelika Schnieke, Mariana Szmulewicz, Felix Thiele.
EMBO reports (18 September 2009) doi:10.1038/embor.2009.208 Science and Society.
The report is available online here. You have to pay to download the report.
Pharming
The term ”pharming”, which is a contraction of the words farming and pharmaceuticals, is often used about the technology that uses genetically modified organisms to produce pharmaceuticals.
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On the other hand citizens from Austria, Germany and Japan do not approve of the technology.
Approximately 60% of the Danes in the survey believe that it is okay to use genetically modified plants to produce pharmaceuticals, despite the fact that a majority at the same time thinks that the technique is against nature and that the products are representing multinational interests.
Confidence in the Danish authorities
The Danes have great confidence in the authorities, when it comes to regulating and controlling the cultivation of GM plants planned to be used for pharmaceuticals. That is what 67% of the respondents believe, while only 31% think it is acceptable for plants to be grown in open fields even under very strict rules for separation, i.e. several kilometers away from other plants of the same species.
When it comes to using genetically modified animals to produce medicines, there is less approval in all countries. The least critical are the Spaniards, the Israelis, the Czechs and the Danes; only 38% of the Danes believe that this technology should be supported.
Risø scientist is co-author
The comprehensive survey has been pulished ’on-line’ in the journal EMBO reports. First author is the Spanish sociologist Raphael Pardo. Rikke Bagger Jørgensen from the Biosystems Division at Risø DTU is one of the seven co-authors.
Shortcut to new pharmeceuticals
The technology, using genetically modified plants and animals as production platforms for medicine, is interesting, because the pharmaceuticals can be produced faster, more flexibly and profitably. Examples of this form of medicine production is ATryn (antithrombin alfa), produced by genetically modfied goats. Atryn is used to treat blood clots.
22,500 participated in the survey
The survey included 22,500 citizens. 1,500 from each of 15 industrial countries, 12 European countries, Israel, Japan and the USA. They were asked about their opinion of genetically modified plants and animals producing pharmaceutical proteins. The survey shows a very nuanced picture of people’s attitudes towards genetically modified organisms for pharmaceutical purposes.
For more information contact:
Senior Scientist Rikke Bagger Jørgensen, phone 46 77 41 24, mobile 22 49 90 25, rijq@risoe.dtu.dk
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