The NIH's National Center for Research Resources, which has had a moratorium on breeding of federally supported chimpanzees since 1995, said this week the animals were of "continuing importance" to biomedical research, but that it could not afford to fund their upkeep.

Chimps, which can live for more than 50 years in captivity, can cost as much as $500,000 in care over the span of an individual's life. Of the estimated 1,000 to 1,300 chimps in research facilities in the United States, NCRR supports approximately half.

John Vandeberg, director of the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, Texas, which houses chimpanzees sometimes used in experiments conducted by pharmaceutical companies, told United Press International the move would be detrimental to research into treatments for several diseases and conditions.

"I'm disappointed by this announcement and it's disturbing to me," Vandeberg said. "I think it will have a devastating impact on some types of biomedical research, most importantly on hepatitis C and hepatitis B, other diseases for which chimps are used today, and other diseases that may emerge in the future."

Vandeberg noted chimpanzees are the only animal model that can be infected with hepatitis C, making them crucial for testing potential vaccines and drugs against the virus. The animals also are extremely valuable for developing monoclonal antibodies, which have proven effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, he said.

Although animal rights groups have taken partial credit for affecting NCRR's decision, Vandeberg, who participated in the working group that helped guide the agency, thought the budget limitation was the real reason behind the move.

"I do not believe that pressure from animal right activists had a bearing on the NCRR's decision," he said.

The Humane Society of the United States and Project R and R: Release and Restitution for Chimpanzees in U.S. Laboratories, which led a campaign to pressure the NCRR to cease funding for breeding the primates, took partial credit for the government's decision and said the move would actually improve the quality of biomedical and pharmaceutical research.

Theodora Capaldo, director of Project R and R, said the chimpanzee has not proven especially helpful as a model for insights into human disease or treatments.

"When we stop using chimpanzees, there will not only not be a negative impact, there could be a positive impact, especially if we move towards research that we know gets us better results," Capaldo told UPI. This includes clinical and epidemiology studies and cell and tissue culture research, she said.

"Chimpanzees are not used to any great extent in research in the three major killers: heart disease, cancer and AIDS," she said.

Capaldo's group is currently developing three scientific papers to show chimpanzees are not necessary for biomedical research.

"We can make the argument they're not helpful and even in those situations where they may be, they're not necessary," she said.

Kathleen Conlee, director of program management for animal research issues for the Humane Society, told UPI the NCRR's decision to permanently cease funding of breeding of chimps will have a significant impact because it sends "a major message that this is not benefiting humans and it's costly."

Conlee suggested the move would have a positive influence on biomedical research by freeing up resources for spending on other endeavors that she said may prove more fruitful and lead to better results.

Her group plans to continue to campaign for retiring the remaining chimpanzees in research labs to sanctuaries.

In 2002, NCRR awarded more than $30 million to the non-profit organization Chimp Haven to set up a sanctuary for federally owned or supported chimpanzees no longer needed for biomedical research, but the sanctuary is anticipated to reach full capacity in the next year.

In addition to Southwest, chimpanzee research facilities in the United States include the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, the New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana and Bioqual in Rockville, Md. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration also house a small number of chimpanzees.

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