The Göttingen Minipig is used in many areas of biomedical research, ranging from regulatory toxicity studies supporting the approval of new medicines to fundamental research in biology, anatomy and physiology.

Pigs and minipigs have been used in biomedical research for many years because they are good animal models for various human diseases and because a number of specific organ systems in pigs/minipigs are very similar to the human organ system.

Specific characteristics of the Göttingen Minipig

Characteristic	Comment
Well-defined, strictly managed genetics	Göttingen Minipigs are essentially the same animal no matter from which of the three colonies they are acquired.
Well-defined health status	“Clean pathology” with very few spontaneous lesions.
Available in large, uniform groups	For example, we can supply 20 males and 20 females weighing 8–10 kg for your toxicology study.
Bred specifically for biomedical research	Originally created by the University of Göttingen in the 1950s and 1960s to meet the demand by the German research community for “a small pig” suitable for chronic studies.

A further introduction to the Göttingen Minipig can be found via the underlying menu items. The comparison of organ systems in minipigs and humans is summarized and key advantages are pointed out. You can also see examples of the types of studies where the minipig has been used and the different dosing routes

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