title: Overview of the marmoset as a model in nonclinical development of pharmaceutical products.
abstract: Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset) is one of the more primitive non-human primate species and is used widely in fundamental biology, pharmacology and toxicology studies. Marmosets breed well in captivity with good reproductive efficiencies and their sexual maturity is reached within 18 months of age allowing for rapid expansion of colonies and early availability of sexually mature animals permitting an earlier assessment of product candidates in the adult. Their relatively small size allows a reduction in material requirements leading to a reduction in development time and cost. Fewer animals are also required due to their ability to be used in both pharmacology and toxicology (nonclinical) studies. These factors, alongside a better understanding of their optimal nutrient and welfare requirements over recent years, facilitate the generation of a more cohesive and robust dataset. With the growth of biotechnology-derived pharmaceuticals, non-human primate use has, by necessity, also increased; nevertheless, there is also a growing public call for minimizing their use. Utilizing, the more primitive marmoset species may provide the optimal compromise and once the scientific rationale has been carefully considered and their use justified, there are several advantages to using the marmoset as a model in nonclinical development of pharmaceutical products.
authors.affiliation: Salupont Consulting Ltd., Kent Science Park, 940 Cornforth Drive, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8PX, UK. aorsi@salupontconsulting.com
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orsi
authors.forename: Daryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Andreini
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venturella
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cinelli
authors.forename: Germano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oberto
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D002144:Callithrix / Q000502:physiology*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013045:Species Specificity; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations