European Commission reports need for non-human primates in drug research

According to the commission, primate use is still necessary for vital pharmaceutical research programs in areas such as immune-based diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and infectious diseases. Of the 17 diseases listed by the WHO in its program to fight epidemics and pandemics, 12 require the use of non-human primates in developing and testing vaccines and medicines.
The commission said that the paucity of alternative techniques available to reduce the need for testing non-human primates in all areas of biomedical research makes it impossible to fix a deadline to phase out all use of non-human primates in medical research.

The commission also said that non-human primates were used only in exceptional circumstances where no other methods were available, and that in most cases their use was required by the legislation on drug safety and efficacy testing. The commission further stated that legislation could be revised to incorporate strong incentives and a review clause, to provide an effective mechanism to eliminate the use of non-human primates in medical research.