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NHPig · Project

Replacing Non-Human Primates with Advanced Pig Models for Drug Safety Testing

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Imagine trying to test a new medicine but needing a biological 'twin' to see if it's safe. Currently, researchers often use monkeys, which is expensive and ethically difficult. This project creates a high-tech 'dictionary' and digital monitoring system to prove that specially bred pigs can do the job just as well, if not better.

By the numbers
32
consortium partners
12
countries involved
69%
industry ratio
5
experimental work packages
The business problem

What needed solving

Drug developers face high costs, ethical pressure, and regulatory hurdles when using non-human primates for safety testing. There is a critical lack of validated, human-like animal alternatives and digital tools to monitor them efficiently.

The solution

What was built

A multi-organ biobank of humanized minipigs, the iPig digital monitoring platform, and a FAIR database for cross-species biological data.

Audience

Who needs this

Pharmaceutical safety assessment departmentsContract Research Organizations (CROs)Biotech firms developing human antibodiesVeterinary pathology labsMedical device companies specializing in biosensors
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pharmaceuticals
enterprise
Target: Drug developers

If you are a drug developer dealing with the high cost and ethical hurdles of primate testing — this project developed humanized pig models and a multi-omics database that provides a viable, regulatory-accepted alternative for safety assessment.

Biotechnology
SME
Target: Antibody therapy startups

If you are an antibody therapy startup dealing with a lack of precise animal models for human antibodies — this project developed the humanised FcγR3B GMP model specifically for testing human antibodies.

Medical Devices
mid-size
Target: Biosensor manufacturers

If you are a biosensor manufacturer dealing with manual, labor-intensive data collection in animal trials — this project developed the iPig platform for automated digital monitoring and intelligent housing.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What is the cost or price of using these models?

Based on available project data, specific pricing for the models or the iPig platform is not provided.

Is this ready for industrial scale?

The project is currently in the development and validation phase, involving 32 partners to establish the scientific basis and biobanks for future industrial use.

How is the IP and licensing handled?

Based on available project data, the project aims to build a FAIR, publicly accessible database, but specific licensing terms for the iPig platform are not listed.

How does this affect regulatory approval?

The project has established a Regulatory Advisory Board to guide discussions and develop future standards for animal use in non-clinical safety testing.

What is the project timeline?

The project runs from 2024-10-01 to 2029-09-30.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 69% industry ratio, comprising 22 industrial partners including 6 SMEs. This strong commercial presence, spanning 12 countries and 32 total partners, indicates that the project is designed for direct integration into pharmaceutical R&D pipelines rather than remaining as academic research.

How to reach the team

Contact Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Contact us to explore how the iPig platform can optimize your safety assessment pipeline.

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