CRO

Charles River Laboratories expands incubator to discovery-stage biotechs

Charles River Laboratories is expanding its biotech incubation offering to even earlier in the developmental pipeline. 

The CRO’s new Charles River incubator program will provide regulatory and quality expertise along with personnel training initiatives plus lab space and equipment to biotechs in the discovery phase—or more than two years out from an investigational new drug submission or clinical trial application, according to a Dec. 5 release. The main goal of the program is to establish a stable foundation for commercial viability, the CRO explained.

Charles River has opened applications for companies that are targeting an unmet medical or market need, using a transformational scientific or technological approach and have both a strong team and financial solvency.

The incubator program is being launched through Charles River's global innovation center of excellence that is based out of its Alderley Park campus in Cheshire, England.  

The incubator program builds on Charles River’s cell and gene therapy accelerator program, which is designed for biotechs with therapies that are 18 to 24 months away from an investigational new drug or clinical trial application submission.

In September, the company laid off 3% of staffers, citing a revenue drop recorded in the second quarter. In November, the company reported further slippage for the third quarter, with revenue declining from $1.03 billion to $1.01 billion.