Controversial medical research firm Neuralink has responded to reports that more than a dozen monkeys died following experimental chip implants in their brain. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., Neuralink is a neuro-technology company co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016 and is said to be gearing up for its first human trials. The company has a stated goal of helping people recover from debilitating brain and spinal cord injuries and various mental disorders with the help of chips implanted into their brains.
Animals rights activists are accusing Neuralink of recklessly torturing, maiming and killing animals by conducting experimental procedures that are nowhere near ready for prime-time. According to reports, the vast majority of the monkeys and primates with experimental implants from Neuralink died a painful death after suffering from debilitating health effects. While some had to be euthanized because they were in agonizing pain, others suffered a brain hemorrhage following the operation.
Neuralink, which is developing a 'brain-machine' interface, is now fighting back at allegations of animal torture. In a blog post on the official Neuralink website, the company blamed the activists for opposing the use of animals in medical research. It did not admit to the allegations of animal cruelty but did not deny any specific charges against it, either. According to the company, all medical devices and procedures have to be tested on primates before they are implemented on humans, and it isn't just Neuralink that is experimenting on monkeys to fine-tune the process. The company also claimed that it is committed to treating animals in the "most humane and ethical way possible."
Even though Neuralink is protesting its innocence, it has admitted that multiple macaque monkeys from its experiments had to be euthanized due to various complications. According to the company, two animals were euthanized "to gather important histological data," and six others had to be put down because of device failures, surgical complications and post-operative infections. The company also claims to have developed "new surgical protocols and a fully implanted device design" to prevent future occurrences of some of the issues. The company also highlighted its success with Pager, a monkey who recovered fully from his surgery and can now play Pong with his mind.
Neuralink's response comes just days after a nonprofit organization called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) against the University of California, Davis. It alleges violations of the Animal Welfare Act while experimenting with monkeys after receiving grants from the Elon Musk-founded company. The complaint claims extreme disregard for the safety and well-being of the animals used for the experiment. The lack of veterinary care resulted in many healthy animals being put down after developing diseases during their stay at the UC Davis facility.
