Charles River Collaborates with Pluristyx, Expanding its Portfolio of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

The addition of ES cells and iPSCs will enhance Charles River’s portfolio of powerful research tools supporting acceleration of therapeutic development.

WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Pluristyx Inc., a leading provider of tools, technologies, and services for the development of cell therapies. The collaboration provides Charles River with broad access to highly characterized and unique stem cell lines, including high-quality embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as research tools to support development of new therapeutics.

Pluristyx offers a unique product and technology platform in the stem cell biology field for development of new therapies while reducing timelines and downstream costs. Through the agreement, Charles River will distribute Pluristyx’s wild-type and genetically engineered iPSCs as well as their comprehensive portfolio of normal and disease state ES cell lines. All of Pluristyx’s pluripotent cell lines are produced under full donor consent and the ES cell lines are registered and approved by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) making them eligible for use in NIH-funded research. Pluristyx’s iPSC panCELLa™ platform includes the proprietary FailSafe^® safety-switch technology enabling the development of safer, next-generation cell therapies.

Under the terms of the agreement, Charles River will distribute a broad catalog of Pluristyx’s ES and iPS cell lines for research use and will exclusively offer specific pluripotent stem cell lines derived under Good Tissue Practice to support a path to the clinic. The addition of Pluristyx’s offerings complements Charles River’s expansive portfolio of high-quality human cellular materials.

Shaping the Future of Drug and Therapeutic Development

ES and iPS cells provide a valuable tool for researchers to gain access to various types of specialized and differentiated cells that are otherwise inaccessible to study disease onset and progression and to develop a multitude of effective therapies. With its expanded portfolio of ES and iPS cell lines, Charles River enhances its position as a global leader in supplying critical human-derived biomaterials, including a wide range of immune cells and hematopoietic stem cells from both healthy donors and patients to drive advancements in stem cell biology, disease remodeling, toxicity studies, developmental biology, regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and cell therapy development.

Charles River is committed to leading the industry in identifying technologies and supporting efforts by global regulatory bodies to advance solutions that reduce the impact on in vivo research models through its 4Rs mission. The development of complex in vitro models using human-derived cells is one of many critical steps in revolutionizing therapeutic research and development. The alliance with Pluristyx provides Charles River clients access to research tools for advancing in vitro translational cell-based assays for drug discovery.

Approved Quotes

• “We are thrilled to integrate Pluristyx into our robust portfolio of human cell products and services. This alliance provides our clients with access to high quality research tools, adding considerable value and helping to develop safe and effective therapies to patients across the globe.” - Birgit Girshick, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Charles River
• “We are honored to work with Charles River as a worldwide distributor of our pluripotent stem cells, including our genetically modified iPSCs that provide an accelerated path to the clinic with development of safer cell therapies. Through this agreement, we can continue our mission to rapidly advance development of next generation therapies.” - Benjamin Fryer, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Pluristyx

About Pluristyx

Pluristyx, through its panCELLa™ platform, offers a portfolio of unique iPSC-based technologies, proprietary genetic engineering, and related tool-products and services to provide end-to-end client support throughout the products’ lifecycle. Pluristyx is fast becoming the leading provider of gene-edited iPSC and cell therapy solutions, accelerating customers’ path to clinic, and providing the best and fastest route to commercialization of cell-based therapeutic products. For more information on Pluristyx, visit www.pluristyx.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. 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, visit www.criver.com.

Charles River Investor Contact:
Todd Spencer
Corporate Vice President,
Investor Relations
781.222.6455
todd.spencer@crl.com

Charles River Media Contact:
Amy Cianciaruso
Corporate Vice President,
Chief Communications Officer
781.222.6168
amy.cianciaruso@crl.com