Residents are expressing concerns about the facility itself and the potential for monkeys to escape, which has occurred in the past. Similar incidents have been reported at other facilities in the United States, including one operated by Oregon Health & Science University. In Portland, there have been no reports of harm to nearby residents,

“We’re facing a jungle – the noise, the smell, the risk of disease,” stated Penny Reynolds, who resides across the street from the land designated for the Bainbridge facility.

Safer Human Medicine has reassured residents that they take all necessary precautions to ensure that all waste remains on-site and is sent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, and that most of the noise is contained on-site with no detectable odors.

Greg Westergaard, the CEO of monkey breeder Alpha Genesis, mentioned that establishing a monkey facility entails significant effort.

“It would involve extensive training and infrastructure,” he explained. “There will be unpleasant odors and wastewater from cleaning.”

Residents of Bainbridge point to the backgrounds of several executives at Safer Human Medicine, two of whom previously held leadership roles at companies that were under investigation, as a reason to be skeptical of their efforts.

CEO of Safer Human Medicines, Jim Harkness, is the chief operating officer of Envigo. He recently pleaded guilty. Thousands of dogs were abandoned, leading to a $35 million fine. Former Chief Operating Officer Kurt Derfler has left Charles River Laboratories. The Department of Justice issued a subpoena The probe was part of an inquiry into the potential smuggling of wild monkeys from Cambodia, and Charles River Laboratories stated at the time that any concerns about its involvement were “unwarranted.”

Neither Mr. Harkness nor Mr. Derfler faced individual charges related to those incidents.

Safer Human Medicine declined an interview request. “Envigo was functioning under unprecedented circumstances brought on by the pandemic,” they said in an email. They also stated that “we have been committed to operating responsibly and ethically in this field for decades and will continue to do so.”

Safer Human Medicine has stated that they do not use wild-caught macaques. Herpes BThe macaques will be sourced from Asia, but the specific location has not been disclosed.

Community activism in Bainbridge has made an impact. What was initially promoted as a “significant investment” is now overseen by Rick McCaskill, executive director of the Bainbridge and Decatur County Development Authority. Approximately $400 million and 260 jobs Things took a turn quickly. Following pushback from the community, Bainbridge leaders decided in February to Withdraw support for the Safer Human Medicine Project.

“The division and fear within the community seemed to outweigh the benefits of the project,” McCaskill remarked.

Monkeys used for research are housed at seven national primate research centers, each with its own breeding colonies, as well as other facilities across the country. While the national primate research centers mostly utilize rhesus macaques, pharmaceutical companies tend to prefer long-tailed macaques, which Safer Human Medicine intends to use.

Animal testing for drug development was formerly mandatory in the United States, but President Joe Biden will lift the ban in 2022. FDA Modernization Act 2.0 Signed into LawAllow non-animal options where possible. Several members of Congress voted this year to The bill was submitted. We advocate for a shift away from animal testing.

“There are various alternatives available today, such as AI, computer models, and organs on chips,” stated Jim Newman, spokesperson for the American Association for Medical Progress, a group that supports animal testing when necessary, “but current options can only reduce the number of animals to a certain extent.”

Currently, researchers still rely on monkeys for certain tests, and some animal researchers cite a U.S. Shortage of long-tailed macaques — Imports reportedly dropped by over 20% in 2020 due to China halting exports, leading to a surge in prices of long-tailed macaques.

Safer Human Medicine believes that their proposed facility can address the monkey shortage, intending to start with 500 to 1,000 monkeys and then expand. They stated that the facility would be funded by industry and private donors in the US, without specifying them.

The extent of opposition from local residents to the facility remains unclear. Some local politicians who opposed the facility lost recent elections, but it is uncertain if their defeat was linked to their stance.

Nevertheless, Faircloth asserted that her group has no intention of backing down.

“If we don’t stand up for our rights, they will walk all over us,” she declared. “And we can’t allow that to happen.”