Nonhuman primates have a rich history of contributing to significant medical advances such as the polio vaccine, organ transplantation, blood transfusions, and surgical procedures to treat debilitating neurological symptoms like tremors and stiffness.

Nonhuman primates are currently vital to the quest for treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, prostate cancer, coronary heart disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, Ebola, malaria, and AIDS.

Rhesus macaques are one of the most common species of nonhuman primates needed for biomedical research.  Other species of nonhuman primates important for the advancement of science and medicine include cynomolgus and pigtail macaques, baboons, marmosets, titi monkeys, and lemurs.

Although nonhuman primates make up less than one-half of one percent of animal models in biomedical research today, they continue to be essential to the development of lifesaving cures and treatments.