Abstract
The Ethical Dilemma of Non-Human Primate Use in Biomedical Research
Highlights
When people think of biomedical research, they often envision rats kept in cages with scientists in white coats and blue gloves checking on them, taking notes, and injecting them with substances
Some argue that non-human primate (NHP) should not be used in research due to their long lifespan
As anti-vivisection and animal welfare organizations argue, the close phylogenetic similarity of NHPs to humans highlights that they suffer in similar ways to humans.[14]
Summary
On the other end of the spectrum, bioethicist Carl Cohen argues that animals have no rights and research should freely use them.[19]. Cohen claims that animals are incapable of exercising, or responding to, moral claims.[20]. They cannot engage in free moral judgment. He notes that humans kill millions of animals daily for consumption, despite scientific advancements that have made animal consumption largely unnecessary. Cohen questions why it would be ethically permissible to recreationally kill animals without benefit but impermissible to use animals to serve medical science and human advancement.[21]. The closer the bond between an animal and humans, the more unethical their research use seems to be. The use of NHPs has been rising due to increasing research on monoclonal antibodies, in which NHP’s are the only animal that can be used for preclinical safety studies.[26]
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