Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.

Overview

Charles River Laboratories is a full-service, global non-clinical drug development partner that supports clients from target identification through non-clinical development, and provides products and services to support manufacturing.

Segments and principal offerings

Research Models and Services (RMS)

• Core business: production and sale of research models (over 140 stocks/strains of purpose-bred rodents) and related services to support drug discovery and development.
• Research Models: large-scale production and sale of small research models (rats, mice) with global production facilities.
• Research Model Services (RMS Services):
  • Insourcing Solutions: staffing and managing client research operations, including CRADL vivarium space.
  • Genetically Engineered Models and Services (GEMS): GEM breeding, germplasm management, and related services.
  • Research Animal Diagnostic Services (RADS): health monitoring and diagnostics for research models.
• Cell Solutions: donor-derived human cellular materials for cell therapy development and manufacturing (primary cells, blood components, including disease-state donor cells).

Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA)

• Discovery Services: target discovery and validation, disease biology, proteomics, hit-to-lead optimization, early non-clinical in vitro toxicity and pharmacokinetics, and support for modalities including small molecules, biologics, oligonucleotides, and cell/gene therapies.
• Safety Assessment: regulated and non-regulated GLP safety testing across toxicology, pathology, safety pharmacology, bioanalysis, pharmacokinetics/toxicokinetics, and related analytical services; supports regulatory submissions and IND filings from global GLP/compliant facilities.

Manufacturing Solutions

• Microbial Solutions: rapid quality-control testing platforms for sterile and non-sterile products, including Endosafe (endotoxin testing), Celsis (rapid microbial detection), and Accugenix (microbial identification); services support FDA-regulated endotoxin, sterility, and microbial testing workflows.
• Biologics Solutions:
  • Biologics Testing Services: analytical testing, virus seed stocks and storage, regulatory support, and related services.
  • CDMO Services: contract development and manufacturing for cell therapy, viral vector, and plasmid DNA production; integrated analytical development, process development, and cGMP manufacturing for advanced therapies.
• Biosafety facilities and viral clearance testing capabilities that span early development through clinical trials and commercial manufacturing.

Scale and reach

• Revenue (2025): approximately $4.0 billion.
• Customer base: major global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, agricultural and industrial chemical firms, life science companies, veterinary medicine, medical devices, diagnostics, contract research and manufacturing organizations, hospitals, academic institutions, and government agencies.
• Client concentration: no single client accounted for more than 4% of total revenue in 2025; no single client accounted for more than 8% of any segment’s revenue.
• Employees: approximately 19,700 employees as of December 27, 2025; about 2,400 are science professionals with advanced degrees.
• Geographic footprint: operations in over 20 countries and more than 120 sites worldwide.
• Employee geography mix: about 59% in North America, 32% in Europe, 7% in Asia, and 3% in other regions.

Backlog (future revenue visibility)

As of December 27, 2025 backlog by segment:

• RMS: about $640 million
• DSA: about $1.9 billion
• Manufacturing: about $123 million

Compared to December 28, 2024:

• RMS: about $685 million
• DSA: about $2.0 billion
• Manufacturing: about $103 million

Note: backlog reflects approved or confirmed studies and projects; durations vary and some projects may extend into later years.

Recent strategic actions and plans

• Footprint optimization: plan to close or consolidate roughly 12 additional sites over the next two years to improve efficiency and scale.
• Strategic focus: board-led review emphasizing acquisitions, partnerships, and internal investments; divestitures of non-core assets representing about 7% of 2025 revenue to focus on core capabilities.
• Recent transactions:
  • Explora BioLabs (acquired in fiscal 2022)
  • Noveprim (acquired in 2023)
  • Assets of K.F. (Cambodia) Ltd. acquired in January 2026 and integrated into DSA (supply operations) and RMS (NHPs sold to third-party customers).
• Leadership and governance: board-led leadership transition planned — James C. Foster to retire as CEO and Chair effective May 5, 2026, with Birgit Girshick appointed as next CEO.

Customers and concentration

• Client base includes major global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, contract research organizations, hospitals, universities, government agencies, and other commercial entities.
• No single customer represented a concentration risk for total revenue or any segment in 2025.

Technological and regulatory context

• Compliance across GLP, cGMP, and global regulatory frameworks.
• Maintains data integrity and cybersecurity practices.
• Engages in new approach methodologies (NAMs) and maintains cell and gene therapy capabilities.
• Broad portfolio focused on end-to-end non-clinical drug development, translational science, and manufacturing support, including biologics and advanced modalities.

Other financial and operational notes

• The company recorded 2025 impairments within Biologics Solutions and related CDMO asset groups.