OHSU Board Passes Resolution to Transition Primate Center Into Center for Nonanimal, Human-Based Research

PORTLAND, Ore.—The Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) Board of Directors today passed a resolution that will significantly reduce primate experiments and breeding at OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) and transition the center toward nonanimal, human-based research—changes that were welcomed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The board’s decision reflects a growing trend in scientific research to move away from using animals, which repeatedly fail to predict human outcomes, and to turn to modern, human-based methods instead. Several federal agencies—including the NIH, Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—have announced plans to reduce reliance on animal experiments in favor of human clinical trials and technologies such as organ-on-a-chip systems and advanced computational methods. Harvard University closed its New England Primate Research Center in 2015.

Under the resolution, OHSU will begin transitioning the ONPRC into a leading national center for nonanimal, human-based research while reducing primate experimentation. The resolution anticipates an eventual removal of the center’s federal designation as a National Primate Research Center. To ensure accountability, the Physicians Committee urges the Board to establish a detailed implementation plan with a public timeline and measurable milestones that would end primate experiments on a specified schedule.

ONPRC has been controversial for multiple animal welfare violations leading to animal deaths and for harmful and often fatal experiments. The Physicians Committee has led a sustained campaign to end primate experimentation at ONPRC that has included public education, legislative testimony, engagement with federal agencies, and public comments to the OHSU Board. More than 25,000 Oregonians have contacted the governor and state lawmakers urging closure of the facility.

“This resolution to transition the center into a leader in nonanimal research is a significant step in the right direction,” said Mikalah Singer, science policy specialist at the Physicians Committee. “We urge OHSU to set clear, measurable milestones to completely phase out primate experimentation.”

To speak with Ms. Singer, please contact Reina Pohl at 202-527-7326 or rpohl [at] pcrm.org (rpohl[at]pcrm[dot]org).