The letter is a proactive step to engage NIH leadership before mischaracterizations about primate research and NAMS can take hold.

December 11, 2025

Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) submitted a letter to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, ahead of an expected congressional letter that was being circulated calling for federal agencies to follow the example of the CDC to reduce support for primate research.

This was a proactive step to engage NIH leadership before mischaracterizations in the letter could take hold.

By offering scientific context and outlining our concerns in advance, we ensure that NIH has accurate information and a clear understanding of how the research community views these issues—before AR groups attempt to define the narrative.

AMP’s letter counters the AR groups’ proposals with three recommendations of our own:

1. Reaffirm the need for animal studies when scientifically necessary, and that such studies are strengthened—not diminished—by the development and integration of NAMs;
2. Communicate clearly that NIH supports the full 3Rs framework, and that reducing and refining animal use are essential components of advancing public health and animal welfare; and
3. Prioritize an integrative, convergence-driven research agenda whereby NAMs and animal studies work together to maximize translational and predictive power, including investment in cross-validation studies that can compare data across multiple platforms.

More importantly, we remind agency officials that NIH’s own FY2026 Congressional Justification underscores the essential role of primate research in advancing human health and anticipating future health challenges (see pg. 14).

A PDF copy of AMP’s letter is available here.