Here’s a roundup of the latest, biggest news stories related to animal research—all the recent media coverage you need to know right now to be the most effective activist for animals in labs.
If India’s Rules Upset You, America’s Should Outrage You
Lindsey Soffes, Rise for Animals, 11/03/2026
Animal advocates in India are fighting draft rules that would overhaul how the country approves animal experiments, and the fight has drawn significant media coverage.
But one critical point appears to have escaped that coverage: most of the changes advocates are decrying mirror, or even remain more restrictive than, the rules that govern animal research in the United States.
In other words, India’s proposed “rollback” largely describes how the U.S. system already works. 📰 Full Story →
Vanda, FDA Clash Over Animal Testing Requirements
FDA Webview, 10/29/2026
“Vanda Pharmaceuticals and FDA are asking a federal judge to resolve a dispute over the agency’s partial clinical hold on a yearlong trial of tradipitant for gastroparesis, with the company arguing that FDA’s insistence on additional animal toxicity testing violates the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 and the agency defending the hold on both safety and efficacy grounds.”
“In a 56-page brief filed 10/28, Vanda argues that FDA improperly rejected 11 reports of nonanimal testing studies and continues to treat a nine-month dog toxicity study as a mandatory prerequisite for extended human trials, despite Congress’ 2022 legislation recognizing alternative nonclinical testing methods. FDA, in its 9/30 opposition and cross-motion for summary judgment, argues that the legislation permits sponsors to submit nonanimal testing data but does not require the agency to accept studies that fail to adequately characterize a drug’s safety risks. . . . Vanda counters that FDA has failed to adequately explain why its nonanimal studies are insufficient and that requiring sponsors to demonstrate that alternatives perform at least as well as a nine-month animal study effectively perpetuates the animal-testing requirement.” 📰 Full Story →
Activists aim for 100,000 signatures to recall Dane County DA over Ridglan Farms case
Ryan Lynch, WKOW 27, 10/30/2026
“Animal activists are working to recall Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, saying he ignored abuse at Ridglan Farms. Organizers say the push is about holding Ozanne accountable for not taking action when it came to dogs at the facility. . . . ‘He allowed these dogs to languish in pain for years. Many of them died in that facility. Many of them died being shipped out from that facility. He did nothing,’ said [Jen] Koberstein [who is leading the recall effort].”
“ . . . activists have until Dec. 28 to gather signatures to recall Ozanne. WKOW reached out to the Wisconsin Elections Commission to confirm the recall petition. They also told our newsroom the deadline for petitioners to turn signatures [sic] would be December 28. The recall, if successful, would be held next spring, but the commission also added there’s a lot of variables at play – including if organizers reach that deadline, if they turn in enough signatures and whether the DA challenges the petition in court. ‘We plan to get 100,000 signatures by Christimas Day. Wrap it up with a bow, and that’s our Christmas present to the DA,’ said Kloberstein.” 📰 Full Story →
Residents call for retirement of university’s nine research monkeys
Monika Rekola, Village Report, 10/31/2026
“For nine months, [Katherine] Logan had worked undercover at York University for the animal advocacy organization Last Chance for Animals (LCA) . . . She was one of several animal attendants responsible for the monkeys’ daily care, including feeding, cleaning, and assisting with medical needs.”
“Logan [] recalls several monkeys excessively grooming themselves and pulling out their own hair. . . . Logan says she witnessed male macaques drinking their own urine, behaviour she believes was associated with restricted access to water. The practice, referred to as ‘water control,’ was used to encourage the animals to cooperate during research tasks by offering water as a reward, according to her account. ‘If they were thirsty, which they always were, they would cooperate in order to get water as a reward.’”
“The investigation sparked demonstrations calling for the retirement of York University’s nine macaques — Bento, Kenny, Magneto, Do, Hannah, Liesl, Mini-Sass, Olivia and Virginia. . . . Logan believes continued public attention, particularly from university students, could play an important role in determining what happens next. ‘I think the best way to get them out of there is public pressure,’ [Logan] says. ‘And I look forward to seeing them again, this time in a sanctuary where they can thrive, and know freedom, and feel the sun on their faces.’” 📰 Full Story →
Lab monkey prices reportedly jumped from $3K to $20K. Now a Palantir billionaire wants to breed 30,000 of them in the US
Sam Bourgi, moneywise, 11/01/2026
“Palantir . . . co-founder Joe Lonsdale is backing a startup that wants to breed tens of thousands of laboratory monkeys in the U.S., where a years-long shortage has driven up prices and left medical researchers heavily dependent on foreign suppliers. The startup, Safer Human Medicine, has raised $28 million since its founding in 2023, Forbes reports. Lonsdale’s venture capital firm, 8VC, has reportedly contributed $20 million. The company has proposed building a breeding facility in Bainbridge, Georgia, that could eventually house up to 30,000 long-tailed macaques….”
“Expanding domestic breeding capacity could help reduce America’s reliance on imports, but it won’t happen overnight. Female macaques reach reproductive maturity around age four and generally produce only one offspring annually. Safer Human Medicine has proposed starting with 500 to 1,000 macaques imported from Asian breeding facilities and gradually expanding its population to 30,000 over 20 years….”
“ . . . as of October 2026, the company had not yet acquired the land for its Georgia facility. The company has moved forward with a smaller operation in Florida. In 2025, it acquired an existing facility in LaBelle to house and quarantine research monkeys. The Florida facility is already operational, even as the much larger Georgia project remains stalled.” 📰 Full Story →
Autism research involving monkeys contends with uphill battle
Diana Kwon, The Transmitter, 11/02/2026
“In September 2025, David Amaral’s team celebrated a long-awaited milestone: the birth of their first macaque with a variant in the CHD8 gene, which is linked to autism and co-occurring intellectual disability and macrocephaly. The team had been working to create this model with collaborators at the Oregon National Primate Research Center since 2020. . . . But Amaral says he worries about the future of this work. . . . After negotiations earlier this year about potentially converting the Oregon primate center into an animal sanctuary, the facility plans to downsize and pivot to nonanimal models—and it’s unclear which monkey research will continue. The center, home to an artificial reproductive technology core that doesn’t exist at other primate centers in the United States, is essential to his project, Amaral says. ‘A lot of what we’re doing in terms of genetically modified monkeys is being done at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.’ For now, the team is proceeding as if the Oregon center will keep being able to produce genetically modified macaques….”
“There are now more than half a dozen monkey models of autism and related conditions, based on natural social variation, maternal infection and genetic modification. And more are in the works.”
“‘Macaque transgenic work is very difficult in the U.S.,’ [Robert] Desimone [professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT] says, because it requires large numbers of animals, as well as people with gene-editing expertise. Marmoset work is also expensive but is ‘much more feasible,’ because the animals are smaller and easier to handle and breed, he adds.” 📰 Full Story →
Prosecutors move to dismiss 2 felony charges in Ridglan Farms case
Shaina Nijhawan, WMTV 15, 11/04/2026
“Prosecutors are asking a Dane County judge to dismiss two felony charges against four defendants accused in connection with the March break-in at Ridglan Farms. Online court records show prosecutors filed motions to dismiss theft and attempted theft charges against Wayne Hsiung, Aditya Aswani, Michelle Lunsky and Dean Wyrzykowski. If granted, the motions would leave the four facing felony burglary and criminal damage to property charges as a party to a crime.”
“The latest motions come as prosecutors and defense attorneys continue to dispute what evidence jurors will be allowed to hear at trial. In September, prosecutors asked the court to exclude evidence about conditions and the health of animals at Ridglan, regulatory violations involving the facility and actions involving former Ridglan veterinarian Dr. Richard Van Domelen. Prosecutors also asked the judge to prevent the defendants from using several affirmative defenses, including necessity and defense of others. Chris Carraway, an attorney with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project who represents Aswani, argued the move to dismiss the theft charges is connected to that dispute. ‘This is an obvious attempt to prevent the defense from showing the jury longstanding, extensive evidence of animal cruelty and the horrid conditions at Ridglan Farms,’ Carraway said. . . . The defense organization announced the development Monday. Prosecutors have not publicly stated a reason for seeking dismissal of the two charges.” 📰 Full Story →
Animal Testing Rises in Canada: 3.9 Million Animals Used in 2025
Georgina Whitehouse, Animal Justice, 11/04/2026
“New data on animal testing in Canada shows that more than 3.9 million animals were experimented on in 2025—an increase of over 200,000 from 2024 . . . . the 2025 figures paint a troubling picture of Canada’s lack of progress in protecting animals from cruel experiments and transitioning to modern, animal-free research methods.”
“Most of [the 3,935,094 animals “used in research, testing, and teaching across Canada”] were fishes and mice, making up more than 76 percent of all animals used. Birds, cows, rats, amphibians, and pigs were also used in large numbers, while dogs, cats, rabbits, and non-human primates together accounted for 37,355 animals used in experiments. Sadly, experiments on many species went up. More than 11,000 additional cats, nearly 20,000 more pigs, over 70,000 more birds, and more than 16,000 additional amphibians were used compared to the prior year.”
“Unfortunately, CCAC data doesn’t fully capture the scale and impact of animal testing in Canada. Because participation in the CCAC is voluntary for labs that don’t receive government funding, private labs can slip through the cracks, causing large gaps in data.” 📰 Full Story →
Hundreds of monkeys imported thousands of miles to Scotland for experiments
Billy Briggs, The Ferret, 11/05/2026
“Nearly 500 monkeys have been transported more than 6000 miles to Scotland from Mauritius to be used in animal experiments since the start of 2025, The Ferret can reveal. The monkeys are used in tests at a research site in Tranent run by a company called Charles River Laboratories that buys, sells and experiments on animals. The US multinational – which specialises in gene and cell therapy, medical devices, and biotechnology – conducts research on dogs, monkeys, rats and mice to make medicines, fertilisers and weedkillers. . . . Charles River did not respond to our requests for a comment.”
“A freedom of information request to the UK Government’s Animal Plant Health Agency revealed that between 1 January 2025 and 29 September this year, 2,600 monkeys, mostly cynomolgus macacques [sic], were imported to the UK for animal testing. At least 496 were transported to Scotland, according to animal welfare group, East Lothian Uncaged, which tracks imports.”
“‘It would seem crazy to the majority of a modern, compassionate society that an endangered species of monkey is flown half way around the world to suffer tremendously in contract testing laboratories such as Charles River,’ [Jessica Millburn, of East Lothian Uncaged] told The Ferret.” 📰 Full Story →