Charles River Laboratories Launches Next Generation Sequencing Services for Bacterial Identification and Fungal ID

Company also announces partner lab initiative to expand global coverage

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today announced the launch of Accugenix® Next Generation Sequencing for Bacterial Identification and Fungal Identification (Accugenix® NGS). Accugenix NGS simultaneously sequences millions of individual DNA fragments from a sample and provides key information to pharmaceutical and personal care manufacturers regarding microbial control.

When studying pure isolates and/or sequencing of mixed species environments, Accugenix NGS provides a deeper resolution of organism genes and variants at a level never before possible. The platform answers client questions, provides more robust compliance capabilities and higher levels of control, while offering partnership with a global network of labs, bioinformaticians, and specialists who interpret results and provide post-report support.

Enhancing Accugenix Global Availability

Charles River recently entered into partnerships with MPL - Mikrobiologisches Prüflabor (Austria) and Sure Laboratories (The Netherlands) to provide regional access to rapid, accurate microbial identifications to the industrial microbiology market, including pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, personal care and other global manufacturing industries. These agreements bring together Charles River’s curated, proprietary microbial identification database and the high-quality extensive testing services of international microbiological laboratories.

Customers of MPL and Sure Laboratories will now be able to leverage the robust Accugenix sequence and MALDI-TOF databases, consisting of relevant species that frequently occur in sterile and nonsterile manufacturing environments. Both databases are regularly updated to provide the most accurate and taxonomically correct identifications.

AccuPedia^™: A Deeper Look into Microorganisms

As an enhancement to the Accugenix portal, Charles River recently launched AccuPedia, an informational database of microorganisms and their characteristics that empowers users to minimize contamination risks and maximize control over environmental monitoring. AccuPedia is available for organisms identified by sites to help assess risk and make better operational decisions. By utilizing tools like tracking and trending along with AccuPedia, clients can facilitate investigations and implement appropriate remediations.

To learn more about the Accugenix platform, view Tracking and Trending Made Easy, a webinar with Mirna Vazquez, available on-demand.

Approved Quotes

• “During a contamination event, we know how critical every minute is to our clients. Traditional sequencing methods are limited—which is why we developed Accugenix NGS to provide more efficient and effective results, reducing downtime and uncertainty.” –Greg Marshall, Corporate Vice President & General Manager, Microbial Solutions, Charles River
• “For many clients, geographic proximity is a major deciding factor when choosing a microbial identification partner. Our partner lab initiative allows us to bring Charles River’s services and support to clients in new geographies, expanding our reach. We are excited to grow the program and provide industry-leading microbial identification to the industry.” –Ian Jester, Corporate Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, Microbial Solutions at 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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