Alpha Genesis Incorporated (AGI) is a company in Yemassee, South Carolina, that breeds cynomolgous, rhesus, and capuchin monkeys for use in research. The company also manages the federal macaque colony on Morgan Island, South Carolina, known as "Monkey Island" for its free-ranging monkey rhesus macaques. Led by CEO Greg Westergaard, the company is one of the world's largest of its kind. AGI also provides long-term care and retirement housing for research primates following the completion of active studies.
It is a Class B dealer, according to the United States Department of Agriculture subject to inspections under the Animal Welfare Act, and its facilities are accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and operate in accordance with Public Health Service policy.
AGI operates multiple research and breeding facilities across South Carolina, encompassing large-scale primate enclosures, laboratory spaces, and research buildings.
The company operates on over 100 acres and maintains purpose-built facilities for breeding, quarantine, and long-term housing of nonhuman primates, including CDC-compliant quarantine infrastructure for imported research animals. The campuses include controlled-access housing, biosecure outdoor enclosures, and quarantine suites engineered for containment and compliance with federal regulations.
The company's facilities are designed to meet regulatory standards, including those set by the USDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its facilities operate in accordance with the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, with standard operating procedures for intake, health screening, and pathogen exclusion.
AGI maintains colonies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), and other nonhuman primates used in biomedical research. The majority of AGI's colonies are maintained as specific-pathogen-free (SPF) populations to meet research requirements.
The company says it employs veterinarians, research scientists, and animal care staff to ensure its primate population's well-being and compliance with ethical research guidelines. But according to The New Yorker, AGI, like other animal research facilities, has been repeatedly cited by USDA inspectors.
Since 2008, AGI has received more than $120 million in government contracts, including $19 million in 2024 from the National Institute of Health.
AGI supports biomedical and pharmaceutical research through its services involving nonhuman primates (NHPs), which are used by academic institutions, government agencies, and private-sector clients across various therapeutic areas.
The company conducts pharmacokinetic (PK), toxicology, and safety studies to evaluate new pharmaceutical compounds before they advance to human trials, and provides support for research into cognitive function, affective disorders, and neurological conditions using primate models.
AGI provides contract research services conducted under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards. These services include pharmacokinetic, toxicology, pharmacology, and translational studies designed to support investigational new drug (IND) applications and other regulatory submissions. AGIâÂÂs GLP-compliant laboratories include surgical suites, telemetry-enabled monitoring, and multi-modal imaging platforms for preclinical studies.
The company also offers surgical and interventional research models, imaging services, pathology and histology analysis, and bioanalytical assay development, including MRI, CT, PET, and X-ray modalities, for preclinical research applications.
AGI supplies biological materials derived from rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, including serum, plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and tissue samples for biomedical research. Samples are sourced from rhesus and cynomolgus macaques of various geographic origins, including India, China, and Mauritius.
AGI contributes to studies in gene therapy, immune system disorders, and metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity. It also maintains breeding colonies of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques that are free from specific pathogens and can be genetically selected to meet research needs.
AGI offers retirement and long-term care services for research primates following completion of active studies. The program provides continued veterinary care, behavioral management, social housing within USDA-licensed facilities, and long-term management within regulated research facilities. The company has described the program as intended to address challenges faced by research institutions in maintaining aging primate populations.
On November 6, 2024, 43 female rhesus macaques escaped from an enclosure at AGIâÂÂs facility on Morgan Island. The monkeys were recaptured by January 24, 2025, and reported to be in good health. A USDA investigation found that the escape did not constitute a critical violation, and the National Institutes of Health closed its review in January 2025. A subsequent USDA inspection noted a critical violation unrelated to the escape, and an official warning was issued in July 2025.