Charles River Acquires VivoPath To Deepen Discovery Expertise

Charles River has recently acquired VivoPath, a Massachusetts-based discovery CRO. This acquisition, along with the acquisition of Argenta and BioFocus in March 2014, has positioned Charles River as an industry leader in offering discovery services to biopharmaceutical industry and academic research groups.

VivoPath is a discovery service provider with established experience and expertise in providing in vivo pharmacology studies, with specific focus in the areas of metabolic and inflammatory diseases. VivoPath offers comprehensive evaluation of novel compounds from formulation through preclinical in vivo proof-of-concept. “We are excited to combine our team, along with its flexibility and responsiveness, with the already established discovery capabilities at Charles River, to provide industry-leading discovery solutions,” commented Dr. Phil Lambert, former CSO at VivoPath, which is now part of Charles River Discovery Services. “We will continue to operate with the same flexibility and responsiveness, now with the increased capabilities and integration that Charles River is known for.”

“We have seen a major shift in the biopharmaceutical industry in drug discovery and development activities. Clients in the industry are making critical go/no-go decisions much earlier out of the necessity to enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their drug discovery programs,” stated Dr. Emily Hickey, Corporate Vice President of Discovery Services. “Over the years, Charles River has built exceptional in vitro and in vivo discovery expertise through both acquisitions and internal R&D to help clients make informed decisions. The acquisition of VivoPath is precisely in line with our strategy, and will further enhance our discovery capabilities in rapid evaluation of therapeutic compounds for in vivo proof of concept.”