Charles River Laboratories, Inc.

Charles River Laboratories is a global contract research organization (CRO) that provides an integrated range of services—from drug discovery support to non-clinical studies and manufacturing assistance. Leveraging a broad spectrum of disease models and cutting-edge technologies, the company conducts various non-clinical studies in its in-house laboratories.

Features of Charles River’s Non-Clinical Study Services

Comprehensive Evaluation Platforms for Diverse Disease Models and Modalities

Charles River offers efficacy and toxicity evaluations using a wide variety of disease models covering major therapeutic areas such as oncology, metabolic disorders, and liver diseases.

Its global infrastructure enables seamless support from early-stage development through clinical transition.

Real-Time Data Sharing and Virtual Control Groups for Enhanced Study Efficiency

Charles River utilizes its proprietary Apollo™ platform to share real-time non-clinical study data online, allowing sponsors to make timely, informed decisions regardless of the location.

This innovation helps optimize the number of animals to use while upholding ethical standards, enabling faster and more efficient safety evaluations.

Reliable Cardiotoxicity Assessment with CiPA-Compliant and GLP-Certified Studies

Charles River provides CiPA-compliant safety studies, including in vitro evaluations using human iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

All studies are performed under strict GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) conditions to ensure data reliability and reproducibility. Charles River also offers a broad spectrum of toxicity evaluation, including neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity assessments, supporting early risk evaluation and clinical transition decisions.

Example of a Disease Model available at Charles River

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) model

In DIO model, mice and rats are fed a high-fat diet and their body composition are changed and metabolic syndrome are reproduced through high-fat diet. You can evaluate obesity-induced insulin resistance, lipid abnormalities, and inflammatory responses. This model is available for in vivo screening and mechanism-of-action studies for potential obesity and type 2 diabetes treatments.

You can obtain comprehensive analysis of body weight, fat mass, and metabolic biomarkers that can then be used to make informed early-stage decision at the drug discovery phase.

Case Study: Non-Clinical Evaluation Using the DIO Model

Using DIO model mice in which obesity was induced by high-fat diet, the effects of a candidate compound on blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism were evaluated over an eight-week period. Weekly measurements of body weight and blood biomarkers, along with analyses of visceral fat volume and inflammation-related gene expression were measured.

This approach has been applied in multiple development projects as an effective method for the early screening of efficacy and safety of the drug for obesity-related disorders.

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