NASEM Report, 2023: Nonhuman Primate Models in Biomedical Research, State of the Science and Future Needs

Findings: Gaps in the Systems That Support NIH-Funded Research Using Nonhuman

Primates Are Undermining U.S. Biomedical Research and Public Health Readiness

Nonhuman primate research supported by the National Institutes of Health is critical to the nation’s ability to respond adequately to public health emergencies and carry out high-impact biomedical research – but gaps in the systems that support research using these animal models are undermining the U.S. biomedical research enterprise and national health emergency readiness, says a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report.

Nonhuman primates can be valuable for answering certain research questions because of their genetic, anatomic, physiologic, and behavioral similarities to humans. The report says the U.S. needs to prioritize expansion of domestic nonhuman primate breeding programs. Relying on importing these animals from other countries is unsustainable, and dependence on international sources undermines the security of the nation’s biomedical research enterprise. Creating a national plan for allocating and expanding the number of nonhuman primates available for research is necessary — and should encompass financial, physical, and personnel resources, as well as a centralized tracking system to enable a data-driven approach.

Read the News Release here.

Read the Report Highlights here.

Read and download the Full Report here.