Charles River Laboratories - Clinical and Preclinical Services for the Biomedical Market

Charles River Laboratories was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Boston, USA, with other major facilities throughout the rest of the United States, Montreal and Edinburgh. Our 7,500 members of staff worldwide provide a vast array of solutions that advance the drug discovery and development processes.

RESEARCH MODEL SERVICES, PRECLINICAL SERVICES AND PHASE I CLINICAL SERVICES

Our customer base includes major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide, as well as leading academic institutions and government research centres. Charles River’s leading-edge products and services enable our clients to bring drugs to market faster and more efficiently. Backed by our rigorous, best-in-class procedures and our proven data collection, analysis and reporting capabilities, Charles River Laboratories’ research model services, preclinical services and Phase I clinical services are unequalled in the drug development business.

For more than 40 years, Charles River’s exceptional team of scientists – including toxicologists, pathologists, veterinary surgeons, regulatory specialists and support personnel – has designed and performed safety programmes ranging from acute through chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies. We offer a broad range of animal models and numerous routes of administration.

SPECIALTY TOXICOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS

In addition, Charles River leads the industry in the fields of developmental and reproductive toxicology, photobiology, inhalation toxicology, intravenous infusion, immunotoxicology and other specialty toxicological assessments.

We also provide high quality analytical services for clinical trials and preclinical safety programmes including bioanalysis, central laboratories, immunology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, formulation development, and a full consulting and programme management service.

PHASE I CLINICAL STUDIES

Charles River’s Phase I unit was established in 1988 and is located to the west of Edinburgh, just three miles from Edinburgh Airport and approximately 20 miles from Charles River’s preclinical site. The unit comprises a well-equipped 62 bed clinical unit with a dedicated manufacturing unit and a sample processing laboratory.

We have extensive experience in conducting the full range of Phase I clinical studies and typically complete 50 studies each year. The Phase I unit is staffed by physicians, registered nurses, clinical research associates and pharmacists. Additional support staff includes laboratory technicians, nurse assistants and a dedicated group of volunteer recruitment personnel.

Expansions at our Edinburgh (UK) site and the construction of brand new facilities in both Reno and Shrewsbury (USA) will see our capabilities further enhanced with the addition of more highly trained staff to the Charles River infrastructure, as well as substantially increased capacity at each of the sites.