Donations
Twelve capuchin monkeys who spent years as research subjects have begun a new life in a Danish Zoo, with Novo Nordisk’s help. The move marked a huge change for animals who have spent the last 8 or 15 years in a research environment at a psychiatric hospital in Roskilde, Denmark. They were used by the hospital and several pharmaceutical companies, including Novo Nordisk, to test drugs under development for the treatment of psychiatric problems in humans. Novo Nordisk’s use of the animals was limited, and ended in the early 1990s.
In 2001, however, new methods were developed to test such drugs. The monkeys were no longer needed for research, and animal advocates began seeking ways to rehouse them. Novo Nordisk made a contribution to the Danish Animal Welfare Society, which led the 1.7 million Danish kroner (about 281,000 USD) rehousing project.
There is an increased focus in Europe and the US on the possibilities of re-homing experimental animals such as non-human primates and dogs. Novo Nordisk supports this trend and sees this initiative as a good way forward for obtaining experiences in Denmark about re-homing of experimental animals.
