WILMINGTON, Mass.--Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. announced today that its integrated drug discovery collaboration with AstraZeneca has delivered an oral respiratory candidate drug for progression into preclinical development.
Since March 2012, a team of scientists from AstraZeneca and BioFocus, now part of Charles River Discovery Services, worked collaboratively on a respiratory project, with much of the discovery experimental work being conducted at the BioFocus facilities near Cambridge, UK and Leiden, NL. This project has successfully nominated an oral candidate drug for progression into preclinical development. The joint team was also recognised within AstraZeneca Innovative Medicines for its achievements in creatively overcoming a significant safety issue as part of the optimization program.
"We are extremely pleased AstraZeneca chose to partner with Charles River for its early drug discovery work," said David Smith, Corporate Vice President, Early Discovery, Charles River. "The recognition this project received from the AstraZeneca Innovative Medicines team is a testament to our collaborative approach to partner programs."
On March 31, 2014, Charles River acquired BioFocus and its sister company Argenta. As a result of the addition of the BioFocus and Argenta early discovery capabilities, Charles River now provides clients with a unique portfolio of integrated in vitro and in vivocapabilities from target identification through preclinical development. For more information click here.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com.
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. Charles River's 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 Charles River's unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.criver.com.
Contacts
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.
Investor Contact:
Susan E. Hardy, 781-222-6190
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