Charles River Laboratories Launches Alternative Methods Advancement Project to Reduce Reliance on Animal Testing
April 16 2024 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Initiative focuses on innovation, partnerships,
and advocacy as part of $500 million investment in driving
change
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL)
announced today that it is launching its Alternative Methods
Advancement Project (AMAP), an initiative dedicated to developing
alternatives to reduce animal testing. The initiative aims to drive
the new standard for drug discovery and development and
encapsulates the Company’s initial $200 million investment over the
past four years and its five-year goal of investing an additional
$300 million. This investment spans a portfolio of technology
innovations, partnerships, and advocacy efforts to reduce the use
of animal testing.
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Strategy to Drive Transformation
Understanding that stakeholders across drug development must
collaborate to pursue these advances, AMAP is comprised of Charles
River experts in animal welfare, science, technology, operations,
and advocacy. Currently an internal initiative, AMAP plans to
include partner organizations and funding to encourage collective
efforts to innovate and bring best-in-class solutions to the
forefront, industry-wide.
Building on the imperative to deliver on the 3Rs (Replacement,
Reduction, and Refinement), Charles River has spearheaded the
addition of the fourth R of Responsibility to capture its role in
driving progress. AMAP delivers on this commitment to the 4Rs with
a dedicated pursuit of scientific and technological innovation and
by aligning the Company’s strategic efforts with the focus needed
to advance animal alternatives. Grounded in the need to prove the
scientific rigor, AMAP initiatives include research projects
confirming the safety and efficacy of alternatives – ensuring
patient safety remains the utmost priority.
AMAP focus is on three key pillars:
- Products & Services: Charles River is committed to
innovating and expanding its portfolio to include more animal
alternatives. By following the science and introducing new
alternative modalities only when they are proven, Charles River
intends to set the standard for ensuring patients receive needed
treatments safely, swiftly, and successfully. The recent launch of
Endosafe® Trillium™, the Company’s first rapid animal-free
bacterial endotoxin test, delivers on this imperative by meeting
the highest scientific standards and offering a path to reducing
reliance on horseshoe crab blood.
- Strategic Investments & Partnerships: Understanding
that advancement requires collaboration, AMAP involves the
continuation of Charles River’s strategy to partner with companies
to co-develop solutions and continuing to identify
externally-developed technologies to enhance client offerings.
- Previous collaborative efforts include the launch of Logica® –
the AI-solution for candidate nomination – with Valo, study
validation of next-generation sequencing in viral safety assays
with PathoQuest, and ongoing advancements in digital pathology with
Deciphex. Additional efforts to expand AI adoption, validate
substitutes for animal testing in support of clinical studies, and
develop virtual training tools are underway.
- Advocacy: True transformation requires regulatory bodies
and government agencies to compel industry-wide change. By pursuing
partnerships and relationships with thought leaders, policy makers,
and important non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Charles River
plans to work with these public entities to build the
infrastructure needed to support the pursuit of alternatives and
inspire confidence in their acceptance as a new standard.
Through the adoption of digital technologies and AI, following
advancements in science, and establishing relationships with
industry changemakers, Charles River is dedicated to introducing
innovative methodologies that reduce reliance on animal testing
while bringing new therapies to patients faster without
compromising safety.
Approved Quotes
- “Advances in science and technology have brought our industry
to an inflection point. Alternatives are the path to the next
frontier of drug development, allowing us to responsibly drive
progress for the patients and animals that depend on our work. With
our long history in embracing innovation in biopharmaceutical
research, Charles River is well-positioned in setting this new
standard for drug development.” – James C. Foster, Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles River
- “The adoption of alternatives is a strategic imperative for the
industry that requires scientific rigor to prove its possibility
and expansive collaboration to drive change. AMAP is Charles
River’s rallying cry that we must unite in the effort to not only
build these innovations but also inspire confidence and transform
the systems to ensure they can be effectively implemented.” –
Birgit Girshick, Corporate Executive Vice President & Chief
Operating Officer, Charles River
About Charles River
Charles River provides essential products and services to help
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and
leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their
research and drug development efforts. Our dedicated employees are
focused on providing clients with exactly what they need to improve
and expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe
manufacture of new therapies for the patients who need them. To
learn more about our unique portfolio and breadth of services,
visit www.criver.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240416134140/en/
Investor Contact: Todd Spencer Corporate Vice President,
Investor Relations 781.222.6455 todd.spencer@crl.com
Media Contact: Amy Cianciaruso Corporate Vice President,
Chief Communications Officer 781.222.6168
amy.cianciaruso@crl.com
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