Charles River and MatTek Awarded Grant to Promote Alternative Research Methods

• Charles River Laboratories has announced a program to develop a New Approach Methodology (NAM) inhalation toxicology test, aiming to reduce reliance on traditional animal research methods.

• The program is a collaboration with MatTek Corporation, Battelle, and Greek Creek Toxicokinetics Consulting, LLC, and is funded by a $1.3 million grant from the Foundation for Chemistry Research & Initiatives (FCRI).

Charles River Laboratories, a global provider of products and services to accelerate the research, drug discovery, and drug development process, has announced a new program to develop an inhalation toxicology test. This initiative aims to reduce the reliance on traditional animal research methods.

The program is a collaboration between Charles River’s team in Edinburgh, Scotland, MatTek Corporation, Battelle, and Greek Creek Toxicokinetics Consulting, LLC. The collaboration is guided by Charles River’s Alternative Methods Advancement Project (AMAP), an initiative to develop alternatives to animal testing and set a new standard for drug discovery and development.

Shannon Parisotto, Corporate Executive Vice President, Global Discovery & Safety Assessment at Charles River Laboratories, said, “We are deeply committed to advancing alternative methods, and this program is an important step toward removing the need for animal models in inhalation toxicology studies.”

The program is funded through a $1.3 million grant from the Foundation for Chemistry Research & Initiatives (FCRI), in coordination with the American Chemistry Council’s Long-Range Research Initiative (ACC LRI). The grant will advance the development of an integrated approach to the testing and assessment of chemicals, allowing researchers to use screening assays for safety and efficacy testing of aerosol substances without needing to utilize animal research models.

Richard Becker, Lead Scientist, ACC LRI, said, “The collaborative team from Charles River, MatTek, Battelle, and Greek Creek Toxicokinetic Consulting developed a thorough scientific program of work in response to our call for proposals that will significantly advance in vitro inhalation safety assessment methods. The data from this research project will be integral to informing scientific confidence for applying this NAM in product stewardship and regulatory evaluations.”

Alex Armento, Chief Executive Officer, MatTek, added, “By integrating MatTek’s advanced 3D human tissue models into toxicology testing workflows, we are bridging the gap between animal testing and human biology. This partnership marks a pivotal moment where innovation and collaboration will lead us toward safer and more reliable outcomes for all.”