Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories, headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, is an essential, foundational partner deeply embedded in the early-stage drug discovery and preclinical development ecosystem. Founded in 1947, the company provides an incredibly comprehensive, highly specialized suite of products and services that purposefully span the entire drug development process, from initial basic research and rigorous preclinical safety testing to critical clinical support and commercial manufacturing.

Originally famous for providing high-quality, specialized research models (laboratory animals), Charles River has vastly expanded its portfolio over the decades through strategic acquisitions to become a dominant Contract Research Organization (CRO) in preclinical safety assessment, advanced toxicology, and complex bioanalysis. It is a known industry fact that before almost any novel drug enters human clinical trials, it likely passes through Charles River’s stringent safety protocols to definitively satisfy FDA, EMA, and global regulatory requirements.

Furthermore, realizing the future of medicine, the company has heavily invested and built significant, world-class capabilities in cell and gene therapy CDMO services, offering robust plasmid DNA, viral vector, and comprehensive cell therapy manufacturing. Their specialized microbial solutions division also plays a critical role in ensuring the absolute sterility and safety of manufactured drugs globally.

By providing robust, undeniably reliable scientific data and manufacturing support, Charles River drastically accelerates therapeutic development.