Monkeys suffer every day in U.S. laboratories. They are confined to tiny, barren cages, deprived of socialization, and subjected to brutal experiments. These inquisitive animals—our close genetic relatives—are force-fed chemicals, infected with diseases, and immobilized for hours in restraint devices. These tests subject thousands of intelligent, social creatures to unimaginable suffering¹.

Despite growing evidence of the failure of animal testing to predict human responses accurately, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requested $10 million in federal funding to expand its primate experimentation program. Shockingly, the Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed tripling this amount to $30 million². Unless we act now, Congress may approve this budget increase in its final decision this year, prolonging and intensifying the suffering of tens of thousands of monkeys in labs across the United States.

Why Monkey Testing Fails to Protect Human Health

While primates have historically been used in biomedical research in hopes of advancing human health, the reality is that animal tests frequently fail to predict human responses. Over 90% of drugs that pass animal testing fail in human clinical trials due to unexpected safety issues or lack of efficacy³. In fact, reliance on animal testing can hinder medical progress because it generates misleading data that doesn’t accurately represent human biology.

Human-based research methods are increasingly showing their superiority. Advances in non-animal technologies, such as organoids and tissue chips that mimic human cells and tissues, are proving more reliable, cost-effective, and ethical⁴. These modern techniques not only bypass the ethical concerns of animal suffering but also offer more accurate predictions of how drugs will behave in human bodies.

The True Cost of NIH’s $30 Million Budget for Monkey Experiments

This proposed $30 million would funnel taxpayer dollars into an outdated system that fails to protect public health while causing tremendous suffering. With these funds, NIH will intensify research practices that already harm countless animals—keeping primates in inhumane conditions and subjecting them to a lifetime of trauma and physical pain. The demand for change is growing, as more people recognize the ethical and scientific shortcomings of animal testing⁵.

The American public deserves to know how their tax dollars are spent, especially when they are funding programs that cause harm to animals and waste resources. It’s time for Congress to reject this funding and shift its focus toward humane, effective research methods.

Act Now to End Cruel and Wasteful Animal Testing

This decision isn’t final yet. We have a crucial window to make our voices heard and protect these animals from unnecessary suffering. By signing our petition, you are urging Congress to remove this proposed funding from the final NIH budget. Demand that taxpayer dollars be invested in forward-thinking, human-centered research methods that advance health without the ethical cost of animal suffering.

Stand with us against NIH’s expansion of animal testing. Sign the petition now and call for a compassionate, modern approach to research that values human health and animal welfare.

More on this issue:

1. Erika Fry, Fortune (27 January 2024), "Big Pharma’s Great Lab Monkey Shortage: A Crackdown on Smuggling is Causing Chaos in America’s Vital Drug Development Pipeline."
2. Jonathan Franklin, Bloomberg (2024), "The Dirty Business of Monkey Laundering."
3. David Grimm, Science (2 November 2018), "Record Number of Monkeys Being Used in U.S. Research."