Charles River Laboratories Makes Investments in High-Throughput Screening Infrastructure

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today announced a new agreement which grants Charles River commercial access to AstraZeneca’s (NYSE: AZN) high-throughput screening (HTS) and compound management infrastructure. Through the agreement, Charles River will perform HTS programs for its clients utilizing AstraZeneca’s state-of-the-art HTS facility.

Charles River will place scientists-in-residence at AstraZeneca’s Centre for Lead Discovery in Cambridge, United Kingdom, to manage its compound collection and run HTS for clients with a comprehensive range of assay technologies, liquid handling platforms, and automated storage systems. The highly dynamic and brand-new compound management and HTS facility is equipped to provide efficient drug discovery screening services from assay conception to hit identification.

SLAS2018 International Conference and Exhibition
Charles River will debut its enhanced HTS offering, which includes a recent expansion of its in-house compound library, during SLAS2018, the annual flagship conference for the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening being held February 3-7, 2018, in San Diego, CA. Conference attendees can meet with Charles River experts at Booth #1746 to discuss HTS, along with the Company’s comprehensive portfolio of drug discovery and development services.

Additionally, David Cronk, Director of Hit Discovery at Charles River, will present a tutorial, A Perspective on the Use of Stem Cells in High-Throughput Screening, on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, from 12:30-1:15 p.m. To learn more about Charles River’s presence at SLAS2018, click here.

Approved Quotes

• “Providing our clients access to AstraZeneca’s HTS technology enhances our existing capabilities by broadening our assay platforms and increasing our ability to automate, ultimately allowing us to execute HTS projects with greater speed and accuracy.” –Ian Waddell, Ph.D., Executive Director, Biology at Charles River
• “Through our longstanding relationship with AstraZeneca, we have developed and implemented best practices that allow us to complete studies more efficiently and effectively. Access to AstraZeneca’s HTS technology is another collaboration that will enable us to continue to deliver groundbreaking science.” –Brian Bathgate, Ph.D., Corporate Senior Vice President, European Safety Assessment at Charles River
• “We look forward to welcoming Charles River’s scientists to our state-of-the-art facilities in the UK Centre for Lead Discovery. This demonstrates AstraZeneca’s open and collaborative approach to drug discovery and further establishes the UK Centre for Lead Discovery as a leading global centre for Hit Discovery.” –Mark Wigglesworth, Director High Throughput Screening at AstraZeneca’s IMED Biotech Unit

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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