One Monkey Costs 11 Million Won... Prices Soar Due to Shortage of Monkeys for 'COVID-19 Vaccine Testing'

Monkey Export Halt from China Causes Shortage in US
China "Considering Resuming Trade if Situation Improves"

Monkey in the laboratory. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] As COVID-19 vaccine development is actively underway worldwide, the price of monkeys used for vaccine experiments is soaring.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 25th, recently American scientists have requested the government to ensure a stable supply of experimental monkeys. The shortage of experimental monkeys in the U.S. is largely due to the suspension of exports from China. In 2019, 60% of the monkeys imported by the U.S. came from China.

Matthew Bailey, president of the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR), is preparing to raise the monkey shortage issue with the Biden administration. Bailey stated, "Although the suspension of monkey exports from China was a carefully considered measure at the start of the pandemic, considering the spread of COVID-19, China might resume exports."

Global pharmaceutical companies researching COVID-19 vaccines are also facing a shortage of experimental monkeys. The genes of monkeys match over 90% with humans, making them ideal subjects for clinical trials in vaccine development.

Louis, CEO of the American BioCore Research Institute, which supplies experimental monkeys to pharmaceutical companies, said, "The price of one experimental monkey has exceeded $10,000 (about 11 million won), more than double the price from a year ago."

Due to China's restrictions on wildlife trade last year, importing monkeys into the U.S. has become difficult, and securing monkeys for vaccine research in Africa and Southeast Asia has also been challenging.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding monkey exports, "If the international situation improves and export-import conditions are met, we will actively consider resuming exports and imports," but Chinese scientists argue, "There are not enough monkeys even for experiments within the country."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.