Use of Non-Human Primates in Pharmaceutical Drug Research

Use of non-human primates in pharmaceutical drug research
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Use of non-human primates in pharmaceutical drug research
Introduction
Before any drugs can be passed as safe for use by human beings, they are normally subjected to vigorous tests and some of the tests may involve the use of the closest species to humans which are non-human primates. To achieve this, pharmaceutical companies have laboratories where they maintain such primates and administer various test drugs to the animals as a way of testing their viability and safety before they can be used by human beings (Bailey, 2005). It is estimated that more than 100,000 primates are used every year in pharmaceutical experiments in the US alone. Since non-human primates share many psychological and biological attributes with humans, most scientists prefer to use them in pharmaceutical experiments. According to Bailey (2005), animals are in most cases used to test the effects of a particular drug on the human body as well as testing the drug’s nature and chemistry. Moreover, animal testing can be used to test the speed of excretion of a drug from the body, the drug toxicity, the chemical breakdown of the drug in the body as well as the rate of absorption of a particular drug in the blood. Animals can also be used to test medical devices, especially when it comes to bio-compatibility. The use of animals in pharmaceutical experiments has always been a controversial subject considering the perceived ethical implications of such experiments. This research seeks to evaluate whether the existing justification in the use of non-human primates in pharmaceutical research for drugs that would have a negative effect on humans is enough to warrant continued use of these animals?
Complex ethical dilemmas faced by the scientists using non-human primates in research
Scientists have the responsibility of coming up with new drugs and interventions for various illnesses and diseases, but the process of developing these drugs sometimes leaves them in an ethical dilemma (Baumans, 2004). Most of the pharmaceutical experiments that involve non-human primates are normally very terrifying because the animals being used are subjected to painful invasive procedures and the fact that most of them end up dying in the process. The fact that the primates are just used like any other laboratory equipment is very unfortunate and the abusive nature in which the animals are treated during pharmaceutical experiments is very unethical (Baumans, 2004). The non-human primates are in most cases imprisoned in the laboratory cages before they can be used in experiments and this amounts to different forms of deprivation such as separation from natural homes and families. This kind of experience is traumatic because the primates are used to live in the forests where they move freely and interact with their families. While in the forests, the animals can play in the fields, swim in the rivers, swing in the trees and eat a variety of foods, but this kind of luxuries can not be found in laboratory cages. The barren confinement leads to psychological stress and a large number of these animals end up exhibiting abnormal behavior. Most of the animal...