China faces shortage of laboratory monkeys as drug companies wait months for slots

China’s pharmaceutical industry is running short of laboratory monkeys as investment in new drugs and licensing deals recover, pushing demand for non-human primates sharply higher.

Joinn Laboratories, a contract drug-research services provider, reported the shortage at its first-half 2026 results briefing on September 8. The supply problem reflects the long breeding and maturation cycle of laboratory monkeys, as well as the industry’s limited ability to expand production.

Crab-eating macaques generally produce only one offspring per birth, and new generations take years to become suitable for research. A report by research firm Zheshang said China’s captive macaque population is aging significantly, while replacement breeding stock has not been added quickly enough. Some farms have sold breeding monkeys when prices rose, further weakening long-term reproductive capacity.

Zheshang forecast that China could face a shortage of 15,000 to 20,000 laboratory monkeys each year between 2026 and 2028. Prices may remain elevated. Economic newspaper Yicai reported that a high-quality crab-eating macaque reached 200,000 yuan, or about $29,800, in July, nearly matching the peak during the COVID-19 period and doubling the 2025 price of 100,000 yuan.

The pressure is also visible in research schedules. Many contract research organizations are nearly fully booked for monkey-testing projects, forcing customers to reserve slots five or six months in advance. International guidelines do not universally require monkey testing, but researchers continue to use the animals because their physiology and genes more closely resemble humans than those of non-primate species. China Newsweek reported that most biologic drugs require preclinical monkey tests, while about 20% to 30% of chemical drugs also use monkeys during testing.