The price of laboratory-mature monkeys in China has climbed to staggering highs of about 200,000 yuan (about $26,000 or N38 million) per monkey, complicating clinical trials for new drug testing.

The spike in monkey prices was hindering researchers from conducting trials that could lead to medical breakthroughs. The increase further confirms long held suspicions that China seeks to be a drug powerhouse in the world.

Research policies mandate that toxicology and safety tests first be performed on a primate before proceeding to human clinical trials.

For large-molecule drugs, a single trial can require between 60 and 80 monkeys, placing enormous pressure on already limited supply.

Funding alone was insufficient to close the gap as breeding mature and test-ready cynomolgus macaques could take at least four years . Pumping capital into breeding agencies in present day will not immediately ease supply challenges.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand has skyrocketed, with China requiring at least 30,000 monkeys annually to support its expanding biomedical research sector. only about 15,000 monkeys are available for use.