A controversy over research monkeys highlights ambiguity over health standards

A leading animal rights group is accusing Pfizer of running afoul of its own standards in the handling of research monkeys, jeopardizing both the welfare of the animals and the integrity of scientific research.

But the case also appears to highlight a lack of guidelines for assessing the health of monkeys before they are shipped for medical research.

At issue are nearly three dozen monkeys that Pfizer procured in late 2024 from an academic research center before making plans to have them shipped to a contract research organization for clinical work.

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