New methods and technologies have rendered chimpanzees in research largely unnecessary, says National Institutes of Health

US pledges to reduce use of chimpanzees in scientific research

• Kara Moses
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 June 2013 13.50 EDT

Their similarity to humans makes chimpanzees 'uniquely valuable', said NIH director Francis S Collins, but also demands greater justification for use. Photograph: Getty

The US National Institutes of Health, the world's largest funder of biomedical research, has announced it is to "substantially reduce" the use of chimpanzees in the research it funds.
The decision comes after an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report concluded that most research using the apes is "unnecessary".
"Americans have benefited greatly from the chimpanzees' service to biomedical research, but new scientific methods and technologies have rendered their use in research largely unnecessary," said NIH director Francis S Collins.
"Their likeness to humans has made them uniquely valuable for certain types of research, but also demands greater justification for their use. After extensive consideration with the expert guidance of many, I am confident that greatly reducing their use in biomedical research is scientifically sound and the right thing to do."
A small number of chimpanzees will be retained, but not bred, for future research that meets IMO criteria. NIH chimp research projects not meeting the criteria will be wound down, and the majority of NIH chimpanzees deemed "unnecessary" will be retired to federal sanctuaries. Some of the recommendations made by the IMO were rejected, such as the amount of living space needed – 93 square metres per chimpanzee – due to "lack of scientific consensus".



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