History, Current Status, Challenges and Opportunities of Laboratory Monkey Industry in China

Abstract

Laboratory animals play a crucial role in foundational scientific research and clinical medicine. Non-human primates (NHP), particularly Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis, have long been highly valued due to their close resemblance to humans. After more than half a century of development, China's NHP laboratory animal industry has gradually transitioned from its early stage of rapid and unregulated growth to a mature stage of standardization and refinement. However, there has been a dramatic surge in global biopharmaceutical research in recent years, leading to a sharp increase in demand for NHP laboratory animals. This surge, coupled with the lack of long-term strategic planning among breeding enterprises, has resulted in severe aging of breeding populations and a significant decline in reproductive capabilities, further widening the supply gap. Under the dual pressures of rising demand and declining supply, the prices of NHP laboratory animals have surged. Although the cyclical downturn in the biopharmaceutical industry in recent years has lowered the demand for NHP laboratory animals to some extent, leading to significant price drops, the prices remain high. At the same time, against the backdrop of high prices, issues such as the accelerating aging of breeding populations, the lower standards for microbial quality control, insufficient genetic quality control, and blind investment in facility construction have emerged within the NHP laboratory animal industry. This report provides a comprehensive review of the history and current status of China's NHP laboratory animal industry, with a focus on laboratory monkeys. It explores the factors shaping the current industry landscape and identifies potential challenges and opportunities facing the industry. It aims to offer insights and references for the future development of China's NHP laboratory animal industry.

Keywords

• non-human primate
• laboratory animals
• biological agents
• laboratory monkey industry