As fundraising and out-licensing deals in China grow, so does demand for monkeys and other primates for testing
2-MIN READ2-MINThemis QiPublished: 1:01pm, 9 Sep 2026Updated: 1:02pm, 9 Sep 2026China’s biotechnology market has “significantly” driven up the demand for primate experimental models as the market recovers, tightening the supply of laboratory monkeys, according to a leading biotech firm.
Primate experiments typically use monkeys and other non-human species to test the safety and efficacy of a drug under development before clinical trials on humans.
Over US$110 billion worth of Chinese-developed drug candidates were traded in 81 out-licensing deals in the first half of the year, equivalent to 80 per cent of the full-year value in 2025, data from China’s National Medical Products Administration showed.
Joinn added that the price increase resulted from the tightened supply of non-human primates for experimental use in China, as their breeding rate has remained relatively stable.
