China’s science boom is making monkeys very expensive - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

Seen as pests in some parts of Asia, long-tailed macaques are highly sought-after in the world of biopharmaceutical research for drug development. But now a worldwide shortage means one monkey can sell for tens of thousands of dollars, so what’s driving up the cost? Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM China’s fast-developing biopharmaceutical industry has created more demand for macaques, and South East Asia is jumping on the opportunity to deliver. Indonesia is resuming its export of macaques, to the chagrin of animal welfare groups who warn it may worsen the exploitation of an endangered species. Not just any monkey can be used for testing. Only captive-raised macaques are suitable, fuelling concerns that higher prices could lead to “monkey laundering” - where poached monkeys from the wild are introduced into the captive system under false records. On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by the podcast’s Editor Bill Birtles, Bloomberg Asia pharma reporter Amber Tong and the BBC’s Jakarta-based senior journalist Liza Tambunan. 00:00 Introduction 01:21 Long-tailed macaques for preclinical trials 02:54 Why are lab monkeys so expensive? 03:58 How are monkeys obtained for research? 05:24 The changing landscape of monkey export 06:47 What is the average price for a monkey? 07:57 Monkey prices before China’s export ban 08:36 China’s growing dominance in drug development 10:12 US-China collaboration to deliver novel treatments 11:52 Alternatives to lab monkey testing 12:52 Moving away from animal testing 13:52 Monkey’s genetic similarity to humans 15:21 Indonesia’s resumption of monkey exports 17:25 How many monkeys was Indonesia exporting? 19:01 Where is Indonesia getting the monkeys from? 19:50 Concerns about poaching Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc Instagram: @bbcworldservice Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Mariko Oi Producers: Derek Cai, Rachel Lee, Cordeli