Charles River Laboratories’ virtual control group (VCG) database will be used in a toxicology study run by French biopharma company Ipsen.
The VCG database and methodology aim to digitally replace a portion of concurrent control animals in safety studies, according to an Oct. 27 release.
Under the collaboration, Charles River will provide Ipsen with VCG data to facilitate prospective analysis of general toxicology endpoints for its good laboratory practice-compliant study. According to Charles River, VCGs may have the ability to impact study timelines, enhance data quality and meet regulatory expectations with the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use in research) in mind.
Ipsen, for its part, is presently focused on three therapeutic areas: oncology, rare disease and neuroscience. It has two FDA approved medicines, Dysport for cervical dystonia and limb spasticity, as well as Iqirvo in primary biliary cholangitis.
“This partnership exemplifies Charles River’s scientific leadership and commitment to modernizing our company and the industry,” Namandjé Bumpus, Ph.D., chief scientific and innovation officer at Charles River, said in a statement. “By advancing VCGs, we are driving innovation for safety studies and reducing animal use where scientifically appropriate.”
The VCG platform utilizes historical data and toxicology and regulatory expertise to reduce the need for animals in drug safety studies by up to 12%, by Charles Rivers' own reckoning. VCGs can also offer greater statistical power for detecting rare spontaneous findings and offer a more consistent interpretation based on large historical datasets.
Charles River has been at the forefront of advancing the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) and reducing animal testing through its alternative methods advancement program. Other federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the FDA have also been pushing NAMs in both academic research and clinical drug studies.
In October 2025, the CRO giant announced a scientific advisory board to guide its NAM strategy, putting FDA veteran Bumpus at the helm to strengthen its development of NAMs that can supplement or replace lab animals in drug development.