Federal investigations reveal DOD and NIH’s collaboration with Chinese labs for animal testing, while EPA reverses its commitment to phase out such practices.

In January 2025, significant criticism emerged regarding animal testing practices. A federal watchdog and Republican lawmakers revealed that the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health collaborated with Beijing-based Pharmaron on drug experiments involving up to 300 beagle puppies weekly. These tests, funded by U.S. taxpayers, aimed to study neurological disorders but faced backlash over ethical concerns and potential national security risks due to the lab’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency revoked its deadlines for phasing out animal testing, abandoning a prior plan to reduce funding for such experiments by 30% in 2025 and eliminate them entirely by 2035. This reversal prompted further criticism from animal rights advocates who argue for the adoption of more humane and effective research