Primate bill could end unnecessary monkey testing in the US
We applaud US Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) for introducing the Primate Protection and Research Modernization Act of 2018. The bill seeks to, “prevent unnecessary and unethical animal testing practices on primates” in the United States.
The US is one of the world’s top users of monkeys for experiments. 75,825 non-human primates were used in 2017, representing an increase in 4, 637 primates over the previous year.
Our reviews of published experiments on primates have revealed that monkeys in the US are often forced to suffer in shocking tests. This includes being forced to inhale cigarette smoke, being addicted to alcohol or cocaine, and having their brains or livers deliberately damaged. Monkeys are also often used in toxicity (poisoning) tests to assess negative reactions to drugs and other chemicals. This usually involves the animals being restrained so that a substance can be given by injection, through a stomach tube or by inhaling it. Often on a daily basis.
Senator Cory Booker said: “This legislation seeks to eliminate unethical and unnecessary testing on primates and would make any new testing on primates a last resort when necessary for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of life-threatening human diseases.”
One of the key studies cited in support of his bill was the ground-breaking paper by our Senior Research Scientist Dr. Jarrod Bailey, Monkey-based research on human disease: The implications of genetic differences, which makes the case for moving away from monkey research in favor of human-specific alternatives.
Dr Jarrod Bailey said: “The level of suffering that these intelligent and social animals are subjected to in US experiments is shocking. There are more humane and scientifically superior alternatives to using monkeys in experiments, including those aiming to find treatments and cures for many diseases. Both the monkeys used in cruel experiments, and the people waiting for science to deliver better treatments for diseases, will benefit from the Primate Protection and Research Modernization Act.”
If you live in the US you can help by asking your US Senator to co-sponsor the Primate Protection and Research Modernization Act of 2018.