The Minipig in Biomedical Research

The Minipig in Biomedical Research is a comprehensive resource for research scientists on the potential and use of the minipig in basic and applied biomedical research, and the development of drugs and chemicals. Written by acknowledged experts in the field, and drawing on the authors’ global contacts and experience with regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical and other industries, this accessible manual ranges widely over the biological, scientific, and practical uses of the minipig in the laboratory. Its coverage extends from the minipig’s origins, anatomy, genetics, immunology, and physiology to its welfare, health, and husbandry; practical dosing and examination procedures; surgical techniques; and all areas of toxicity testing and the uses of the minipig as a disease model. Regulatory aspects of its use are considered.

The reader will find an extensive amount of theoretical and practical information in the pharmacology; ADME and toxicology chapters which will help scientists and managers when deciding which species to use in basic research; drug discovery and pharmacology; and toxicology studies of chemicals, biotechnology products and devices. The book discusses regulatory uses of minipigs in the evaluation of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other classes of xenobiotics. It describes features of normal health, normal laboratory values, and common diseases. It also carefully elucidates ethical and legal considerations in their supply, housing, and transport. The result is an all-inclusive and up to date manual about the experimental uses of the minipig that describes ‘How to’ and ‘Why’ and ’What to expect in the normal’, combining enthusiasm and experience with critical assessment of its values and potential problems.

Anthony Dayan worked as a pathologist before joining the pharmaceutical industry as a toxicologist and subsequently returning to head a university department of toxicology in London. He has been a member of official and industrial advisory committees on animal experimentation and the safety of medicines, foods and pesticides in the UK and internationally. He has been a consultant to many companies on drug and chemical safety programmes.Kenneth Hastings was trained at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology. After Peace Corps service with the Ministry of Health, Republic of Fiji, he was a Research Associate in the Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona. He then joined the US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Division of Anti-viral Drug Products, where he reviewed many of the early drugs for treatment of HIV/AIDS and related diseases. He served as supervisory toxicologist in the Division of Special Pathogen and Immunologic Drug Products, where he was part of review teams for tropical disease and transplant drugs. He concluded his career at FDA as an Associate Director in the Office of New Drugs. He represented the Agency on many regulatory initiatives, such as the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH). After government service, he joined Sanofi-Aventis as Associate Vice-President for Regulatory Policy. He has served as President of the American College of Toxicology, the American Board of Toxicology, and the Immunotoxicology Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology. Peter McAnulty was trained at the University of London, and worked on various biochemical studies at the Institute of Child Health, part of London University. He then moved to Cambridge University and the Strangeways Research Laboratory, and began biochemistry and immunology