The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is discontinuing its primate research program, leaving the fate of 200 macaques involved in HIV and infectious disease research uncertain. An official ordered the cessation and urged clinicians to use non-animal alternatives, such as “organ-on-chips.” This decision is critically important because the CDC’s primate research program led to breakthroughs in HIV prevention, such as PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), which has radically reduced infection rates globally.
This move coincides with expected federal budgetary constraints. Although this decision accelerates the transformation of medicine by shifting from biological models to innovative digital technologies, it jeopardizes the testing of vital medications, as a complete and rapid replacement for primates is not yet available for some critical research.
Who is Behind This Decision?
The order was issued by Sam Baida, the Deputy Chief of Staff at the CDC, and is directly linked to the political course of HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to phase out animal testing. Sources report that the decision was made with “astounding speed”—the HHS plans to completely liquidate the program by the end of the current year.
The CDC houses rhesus and pig-tailed macaques in Atlanta for research on HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections. The CDC stated that the agency is evaluating ongoing projects and prioritizing non-animal research methods, but refrained from direct comment regarding the fate of the primates. This is the first time a U.S. federal agency has completely halted an internal primate program since the NIH phased out chimpanzees from research a decade ago. Sally Thompson-Iritani, an animal care expert at the University of Washington, calls this decision “unprecedented.”
Animal rights advocates welcomed the decision with joy: the White Coat Waste Project states that “this exceeds expectations and sets a standard for other agencies.” PCRM and Animal Wellness Action welcome the decision and demand that the NIH and FDA adopt the same policy.
However, there is full alarm in the scientific community. The former head of the CDC’s HIV division, Demetre Daskalakis, states that the monkeys are used to test future preventive medications created by Merck and Gilead. Deborah Fuller (a researcher at the Washington National Primate Center with 30 years of HIV research experience) calls this a “colossal loss” because the CDC was leading the development of microbicides to protect women, for which other experimental models are ineffective.
The absolute abrupt termination of the research means the loss of significant federal investment and critical scientific data. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the House of Representatives’ 2026 budget proposal nullifies funding for the CDC’s HIV research, which could ultimately decide the fate of the entire program.
What Will Happen to the 200 Primates?
The final fate of the primates remains uncertain. CDC staff are requesting their phased relocation and transfer to university primate centers to continue research work, but HHS is considering placing them in sanctuaries as the main alternative.
Sam Baida has already contacted Scott Kubisch from the Peaceable Primate Sanctuary in Indiana. Kubisch is ready to accept all 200 monkeys within a year, but this requires $14 million, which is a colossal amount for any sanctuary. The most severe situation is for primates infected with SHIV (simian-human hybrid virus), whose safe transportation is impossible, and they are likely facing euthanasia. Expert Thompson-Iritani calls such action “extremely irresponsible.”
The Global Trend of Restricting Animal Testing
Since the Trump administration, many federal agencies have undergone a sharp transformation. The FDA, EPA, and NIH are actively reducing their dependence on animal models and implementing innovative alternatives, such as “organ-on-chips.” The FDA currently uses 45 baboons and macaques in pertussis and tuberculosis research; researchers fear that these primates will be next, which significantly worsens the “moral situation” in research circles.
The NIH currently oversees approximately 7,000 primates. Expert Thompson-Iritani emphasizes that federal agencies must include a long-term plan for animal care in their strategic planning. She predicts, “This trend will not be limited to the termination of the CDC program.”
Although “organ-on-chips” offer great promise, the confirmed benefits achieved with primates—for example, the reduction of global HIV incidence—are under threat.
Source: Science
