China’s biotech research surge raises lab monkey costs
Amid the ongoing deflationary climate in China’s economy, one price seems to be on the rise, and this development may not bode well for Chinese researchers and biotech companies. The prices of laboratory monkeys utilized for drug testing in China are experiencing an increase once more, reversing the decline observed last year and nearing the levels recorded during the pandemic. The prices are anticipated to hit 150,000 yuan per animal in early 2026, marking the highest level since the pandemic. It will signify a notable increase from an average of approximately 103,000 yuan in 2025. A report indicates that the increase is being driven by a faster-than-expected revival of biotech research, coupled with a structural supply lag in breeding capacity. The price increase follows a historic surge in deal-making, IPO activity, and new venture capital investments in Chinese biotech during 2024–25. Domestic companies entered into a significant number of licensing agreements with international pharmaceutical firms, with several lucrative contracts generating funds that have been directed towards research and development. This has led to numerous drug candidates advancing into mid- and late-stage development, stages that typically necessitate more comprehensive non-clinical testing in primates.
Following a surge during the Covid years, prices have declined as investment has diminished. The market for monkeys used in laboratories has a notable history of sharp volatility. For instance, prices reached approximately 188,000–230,000 yuan in 2022–23, before declining to 80,000–125,000 yuan in 2023–24 as supply normalized and funding decelerated. However, the current rebound differs from the pandemic peak because it is driven primarily by renewed R&D activity rather than export bans or emergency demand, as per reports. It is reported that one of the primary factors contributing to the price increase is the insufficient growth in monkey breeding capacity. In the aftermath of the downturn that ensued following the pandemic surge, producers refrained from expanding primate populations. Raising cynomolgus monkeys to an age appropriate for the majority of toxicity and safety studies typically requires approximately four years. The sudden surge in trial initiations, coupled with the extended biological lead time required for breeding, has resulted in what is characterized as a classic supply bottleneck.
Consequently, clinical research organisations are experiencing delays and the rescheduling of programmes due to a shortage of available animals, as per reports. Some laboratories have turned to reusing animals for permitted tests following mandatory “washout” periods. This practice may help maintain output, but the data produced is considered less valuable compared to results obtained from previously unused, or “naive”, animals. The shortage in China has also exerted an indirect influence on global markets. During the pandemic era, US prices for long-tailed macaques experienced a significant increase and have continued to stay above the levels seen before Covid. Price averages in 2024–25 exceeded those recorded prior to the pandemic. Prior to the onset of Covid, the cost of monkeys in the US varied between $4,000 and $7,000. Between 2020 and 2023, they experienced fluctuations ranging from five to 15 times due to China’s export halt, with prices reaching $15,000 to $60,000 for long-tailed macaques. According to a report, by 2024–25, average prices ranged from $11,000 to $35,000, with notable peaks due to persistent shortages.
The United States imports approximately 30,000 monkeys annually, primarily from Southeast Asia, including Cambodia and Mauritius. Meanwhile, domestic primate facilities, including several National Institutes of Health centers, house around 20,000 animals, with a focus on rhesus macaques. These facilities encounter their own constraints in breeding. The US Food and Drug Administration has streamlined the process for utilizing monkeys in specific safety experiments, a decision intended to lower the costs associated with medicine development in conjunction with other strategies. Governments and pharmaceutical companies are investing in alternatives like in-silico models and other non-animal techniques; however, these efforts remain small-scale and are not yet capable of fully replacing much of the primate testing. Pharmaceutical developers and contract research organizations will encounter increased costs for animals and restricted availability, resulting in extended timelines and elevated budgets for mid- and late-stage programs. Experts indicate that only an increase in breeding capacity can alter the current circumstances, given that demand remains robust and price pressures are expected to persist.
