Thanks to biomedical research, we saw the functional eradication of smallpox and polio due to the development of their respective vaccines. Measles, mumps, and COVID-19 vaccines were also reliant on biomedical research. HIV treatments, which were discovered through biomedical research, now make the infection manageable rather than a death sentence. Studies on HIV continue to progress today with the hope of finding a cure.

Gene therapies can restore sight to people who are going blind. And progress continues to be made in understanding Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. None of these advances would be possible without the contribution of animal research somewhere along the way, and often at a stage when a non-animal model wasn’t viable.

Scientists are actively investing in new approach methodologies, including cell culture, AI modeling, and organoid technology. These advances are genuinely promising, but they cannot yet replicate what happens inside a living biological system. The global scientific community does not yet fully understand how cells, tissues, and organs integrate and interact, and non-animal models are currently unable to provide the information needed to accurately interpret complex diseases.

For diseases like HIV, Parkinson’s, and reproductive health conditions, animal models are still the most reliable source for better treatments and answers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires studies in nonhuman primates before certain treatments can advance to human clinical trials. As alternative methods progress, animal research provides validated benchmarks they need to improve, which will help reduce the need for animal models.

When people picture biomedical research, monkeys are often the first image that comes to mind. However, they represent a very small fraction of the animals involved. Roughly 95% of research animals are mice and rats.

Monkeys are only used when their relationship (biologically and genetically) to humans makes them the only model capable of producing accurate results, which is why their use is concentrated in areas like neurological disease, HIV, and reproductive health, where no other approach can answer the question safely and reliably. Due to the Great Ape Protection and Cost Saving Act of 2011, apes are not used for biomedical research. However, apes are still used for some very specific non-invasive behavioral studies.

Federal law, institutional policy, and voluntary accreditation standards all require that research animals receive comprehensive care. Veterinary specialists trained in each species are responsible for animal health. Behavioral management plans (involving enrichment and social housing) and pain management are required components of animal care, not optional extras. Animals must be housed with companions, provided with species-appropriate enrichment, and assessed regularly for signs of distress. Today’s researchers monitor not just the physical and nutritional needs of animals but also their psychological needs.

Before any animal study can proceed, it must pass NIH peer review and receive approval from an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), whose membership includes veterinarians, scientists, and community members who are unaffiliated with the institution. Researchers are required to demonstrate to the IACUC that no viable alternative to animal use exists. Unannounced inspections are performed by the USDA under the Animal Welfare Act once or twice a year. Institutions can also opt for voluntary accreditation through AAALAC International, which sets standards that exceed federal requirements. The NIH’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) monitors compliance with the authority to suspend funding.

The 3Rs framework has been part of ethical research practice since the 1950s and is codified in federal regulations. Every IACUC application requires researchers to explicitly address each of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement). Replacement requires demonstrating that no alternative to the animal model can answer the research question. Reduction requires justification for the specific number of animals requested, neither more nor fewer than scientifically necessary. Refinement means documenting the steps taken to minimize pain, distress, and any potential suffering throughout the study. These considerations are required as part of the approval process.

There is a substantial return on investment with biomedical research. Beyond the direct economic activity, the long-term fiscal case is even stronger: the cost of caring for an aging population with conditions like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease is projected to reach trillions of dollars. Every preventable case and every effective treatment developed through this research represents real savings to patients, families, and public health systems. Biomedical research is both a scientific investment and a fiscal one.

Every study gets published in a peer-reviewed journal, which means independent scientists have already picked it apart before it ever goes public. Inspection reports from federal and state regulators are public records, and many institutions post their USDA inspection reports directly on their websites. The whole system is more open than most people realize, and that information is easily available for those interested.