FBR’s press statement on the new National Academies Nonhuman Primate Models Report

FBR’s press statement on the new National Academies Nonhuman Primate Models Report

Washington, DC – Today the National Academies Committee on the State of the Science and Future Needs for Nonhuman Primate Model Systems released its consensus report Nonhuman Primate Models in Biomedical Research: State of the Science and Future Needs. Foundation for Biomedical Research President Mathew R. Bailey issued the following statement about the new report:

“FBR applauds the committee’s diligent work to assess the current state of nonhuman primate research in the United States and is encouraged by the report’s conclusion that a national strategy is necessary to address the shortage of nonhuman primates in research. The report is consistent with much of what FBR has stated over the past few years including the fact that nonhuman primates are currently irreplaceable in neuroscience and the study of neurological disorders, infectious disease research, immunotherapy, reproduction studies, aging research, chronic inflammatory disease research and other areas of science. That is why our public health and our safety depend on a national plan to ensure we have the resources to meet the biomedical research demand. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from which we are emerging serves as a good reminder of this fact.”

“FBR believes the new report reflects the current state of science. We agree with the report’s conclusion that complete multiorgan and integrated biomedical research requires studying a living organism. Since nonhuman primates and humans share between 93% and 98% of the same DNA, have similar brain anatomies, and share similar body systems, they are a key to biomedical research discoveries that yield new drugs, vaccines and biologics.”

NASEM NHP Committee Chair Kenneth S. Ramos, MD, PhD, said: “At this point in time [monkeys] continue to be essential models in biomedical research.”

About the Foundation for Biomedical Research

The Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) is America’s most experienced, trusted and effective nonprofit dedicated to improving human and animal health by promoting public understanding and support for biomedical research. Together with the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR), FBR illuminates the essential role animal testing and research plays in changing health outcomes and defeating illnesses affecting both people and animals. FBR was established in 1981 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Learn more by visiting www.fbresearch.org.