Charles River Laboratories Announces Opening of U.K. Manufacturing Facility

Cheshire-based site to bolster plasmid DNA manufacturing, supporting cell and gene therapy development

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) announced today the opening of its High Quality (HQ) Plasmid DNA Centre of Excellence at Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park in Cheshire, United Kingdom.

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Charles River's High Quality (HQ) Plasmid DNA Centre of Excellence at Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park in Cheshire, United Kingdom (Photo: Business Wire)

The expansion follows Charles River’s acquisition of Cognate BioServices and Cobra Biologics, a pioneering plasmid DNA, viral vector, and cell therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), in March 2021, and will support the growing needs of customers. With turnaround times from 48 hours for off-the-shelf products to custom HQ plasmid DNA manufacturing services within five weeks or more, the expansion both accelerates and safeguards future supply for cell and gene therapy developers.

The new 16,000 square foot facility is part of Charles River’s mission to expand its end-to-end capabilities in cell and gene therapy development, adding to a growing global network that will help fast-track the process of bringing therapies to market. Specifically, the new site, and the addition of three new manufacturing streams, will enable the Company to quadruple its HQ plasmid DNA capacity to address global supply shortages and support therapeutic developers through rapid access to material.

Additional manufacturing slots are available from September 2022, with immediate project initiation. To learn more about the expansion of Charles River’s Alderley Park facility, click here.

Approved Quotes

• “Our team has had decades of success developing, producing, and reliably delivering plasmid DNA, which ensures customers are in safe hands. Alderley Park is an impressive life sciences hub with a thriving ecosystem and Charles River is excited to be a part of the community.” – Nick Smith, Site Director, Alderley Park, Charles River
• “In order to address the exponential growth of the cell and gene therapy market, we will continue to broaden our reach and capabilities to meet the growing demand. Our Alderley Park expansion is one of multiple ongoing initiatives to support our global clients from discovery to delivery.” – 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, visitwww.criver.com.

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