Opportunities for Refinement of Non-Human Primate Vaccine Studies

Non-human primates (NHPs) are used extensively in the development of vaccines and therapeutics for human disease. High standards in the design, conduct, and reporting of NHP vaccine studies are crucial for maximizing their scientific value and translation, and for making efficient use of precious resources. A key aspect is consideration of the 3Rs principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement. Funders of NHP research are placing increasing emphasis on the 3Rs, helping to ensure such studies are legitimate, ethical, and high-quality. The UK's National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have collaborated on a range of initiatives to support vaccine developers to implement the 3Rs, including hosting an international workshop in 2019. The workshop identified opportunities to refine NHP vaccine studies to minimize harm and improve welfare, which can yield better quality, more reproducible data. Careful animal selection, social housing, extensive environmental enrichment, training for cooperation with husbandry and procedures, provision of supportive care, and implementation of early humane endpoints are features of contemporary good practice that should and can be adopted more widely. The requirement for high-level biocontainment for some pathogens imposes challenges to implementing refinement but these are not insurmountable.

Automated summary

High standards and adherence to the 3Rs principles are crucial in maximizing the scientific value of NHP vaccine studies, while also ensuring ethical and high-quality research. Collaboration between organizations like NC3Rs and CEPI has led to initiatives that support vaccine developers in implementing 3Rs principles to minimize harm and improve animal welfare. Challenges in implementing refinement due to high-level biocontainment for certain pathogens can be overcome with careful animal selection and implementation of contemporary good practices.