On Apr. 30, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a gene-editing technology that creates pigs resistant to the highly contagious and costly porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

The decision is among first approvals for gene-edited livestock in the United States and comes after years of extensive research and collaboration between Pig Improvement Company (PIC), a subsidiary of the animal genetics company Genus, and the FDA.

The FDA determination that the gene edit is safe and effective could significantly change how pork producers manage the devastating viral disease.

The PRRS virus causes fever, respiratory issues, and reproductive failure in pigs. It also suppresses pigs’ immune systems, making them more susceptible to secondary infections that may need to be treated by antibiotics.

From 2016-20, PRRS was responsible for an estimated $1.2 billion loss per year in U.S. pork industry production, an 80% increase from a decade earlier, according to a recent analysis by Iowa State University.