Oregon Lawmakers Set Conditions for Closing Primate Testing Center

PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon lawmakers have set conditions for closing the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC). As part of a budget note approved by the state legislature, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) must submit a report by January 1, 2026, evaluating the financial future of the primate center.

OHSU’s report must contain plans for closing the center should it lose more than 25% of its total NIH grant income compared to 2024 levels, or receive any state funding. This is viewed as a final opportunity for OHSU to acknowledge and address the center’s financial instability and ethical shortcomings before being forced to close due to NIH funding losses or unauthorized use of state funds.

In addition to financial concerns, the ONPRC has a record of animal welfare violations, including a recent incident in which a monkey died due to inadequate veterinary care.

“The experiments themselves have been of great concern,” said Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, president and founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “When OHSU moves away from drug, alcohol, and sex experiments on monkeys toward human-relevant methods, its research program will be on better footing.”

More than 25,000 Oregonians have contacted the governor and lawmakers in recent months urging closure, and polling shows overwhelming public support for ending animal experiments.

The Physicians Committee, a nonprofit of more than 17,000 physicians, appreciates the legislature’s involvement and urges OHSU to begin an orderly and transparent process to close the primate center and reinvest in human-relevant research.

To see a copy of the budget provision or to speak with Dr. Barnard, please contact Reina Pohl at 202-527-7326 or rpohl [at] pcrm.org (rpohl[at]pcrm[dot]org).