Specific Pig, new company developing 'minipigs' for biomedical research
With equity holders IRTA, Bioemprèn and Semen Cardona, it is the first biomedical company in all of Europe to breed and carry out research on pigs. The aim is to create miniature pigs weighing 35 kilos to facilitate management and save on food and drugs.

By Biocat
The BioRegion of Catalonia has another new company, Specific Pig, a pioneer in Europe in providing integral selection, production and marketing services for pigs and SPF pigs (Specific Pathogen Free) as animal models for biomedical research.
The company was created as a technology-based start-up at the Institute of Agro-food Research and Technology (IRTA) with additional equity holders Bioemprèn and Semen Cardona. As Catalan Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Josep Maria Pelegrí said at the inauguration of the facilities in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona) on 21 June, "it is a clear example of collaboration for the future in R&D&i with public resources and public/private agreement both in the creation and future operations of the center." In addition to the minister, the event also featured Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Mobility and the Environment in El Prat de Llobregat Sergi Alegre, general director of the IRTA Josep Maria Monfort, CEO of Biocat Montserrat Vendrell, and head of Research and Innovation for the Department of Health Gabriel Capellà.
The Specific Pig facilities occupy 3 hectares and some 5,000 square meters of building space, where they currently breed conventional pigs of high healthcare quality for biomedical research center, hospitals and pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Additionally, they are working on a genetic selection program to create a line of miniature pigs in collaboration with genetics and animal-breeding researchers at the IRTA.
Growing interest in pigs as an experimental model
Pigs are used as experimental animal models for their physiological, physical and behavioral similarities with the human species, which facilitates the work of research teams. Although conventional pigs are used much more commonly than miniature pigs, the advantage of the latter is their reduced weight, just 35 kg instead of 200 kg, making them easier to manage and house and reducing food and drug costs.
In the biomedical sector, model pigs are used in various areas including:
- Pharmacology: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, toxicology studies, and infectious, cardiovascular, tumor and degenerative disease models.
- Surgery: studying new surgical techniques, minimally invasive surgical techniques, transplants and robotic surgery.
- Studies with medical devices for testing and validation.
- Development of new functional foods.
Specific Pig also has spaces to conduct biomedical research onsite and an experimental operating area that will be equipped depending on the needs of the researchers using it. There are already various research teams and medical device companies that will soon begin the first studies in this innovative facility.
After the inauguration of the center, "we soon hope to close a second round of funding that will allow us to make the necessary investment to increase the services we offer for biomedical research," explained Jaume Amat, CEO of Specific Pig. Amat has links to innovative companies in the BioRegion like VCN Biosciences, where he is on the Board of Directors, Rob Surgical Systems and Bioemprèn.
Interview to Jaume Amat: "We want to universalize the miniature pig for biomedical research" (14 October 2013)