CDC to Transfer Over 160 Research Macaques to Texas Primate Sanctuary
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to transfer more than 160 macaques to Born Free USA as part of efforts to phase out the use of monkeys in research. The agency cited “unusual and compelling urgency” in finding housing for the animals. A notice seeking responses was posted on a General Services Administration procurement website with a deadline of May 28.
StatThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to transfer more than 160 macaques to Born Free USA, a nonprofit that runs a large primate sanctuary in Texas. The transfer forms part of broader efforts to phase out the use of monkeys in research.
The agency is trying to move quickly due to the “unusual and compelling urgency” of finding housing for the monkeys, according to a notice about the proposed contract.
That notice was posted on a procurement website run by the General Services Administration. A timeline for the transfer was not specified. The agency is accepting responses until May 28. STAT reported the details in an article written by Ed Silverman and published on May 14, 2026.
Ed Silverman is a Pharmalot Columnist and Senior Writer at STAT. The macaques are currently under the care of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Born Free USA's Texas facility would provide long-term housing once the contract is finalized.
The proposed arrangement reflects a deliberate policy shift at the public health agency toward reducing reliance on nonhuman primates for scientific work. No additional details on the monkeys' current location or specific research background were included in the notice.
