Are PMPs the same thing as “edible vaccines”?
No – though they are closely related, there are some differences. Edible vaccines are also developed through the use of biotechnology, but are not necessarily the same as PMPs. PMPs produce proteins that will be used in the subsequent manufacture of medicines, as the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in a pharmaceutical product. Therapeutic proteins produced in PMP field trials are usually not intended to be administered via food. They will be administered orally, enterally or topically. Regulatory oversight coupled with individual companies’ stewardship procedures are designed to keep PMPs separate from the food chain so that these proteins are not mixed with or consumed as food.
