Maryland pushes for alternatives to animal-based medical research

• In a first for the U.S., Maryland is on the verge of bringing legislation to form dedicated investments to promote alternative approaches to animal-based biomedical research.
• Early this month, the state legislature cleared a bill requiring companies and universities that use animals and dogs for studies to contribute to a new fund that will promote alternative forms of research, Stat News reported.
• A state agency will then use that funds to issue grants to support alternative biomedical research efforts, such as cell-based assays and computer models. However, the bill falls short of requiring a complete ban on animal studies.
• The move comes amid a shortage of non-human primates for pre-clinical studies in the U.S after the Department of Justice criminally charged two officials and a supplier of non-human primates ((NHPs)) from Cambodia, the leading supplier of those animal models to the U.S.
• At the time, the non-clinical contract research organization Charles River Laboratories (NYSE:CRL) said the DoJ indictment would hurt its NHP supplies.

More on CRL and supply challenges

• Charles River gains as Cambodia denies restrictions on monkey exports
• Charles River cut to Hold at Jefferies on biotech funding and supply concerns