- Charles River Laboratories has launched an IVF service bundle to support rat-model programs across multiple therapeutic areas.
- The offering includes embryo transfer, cryopreservation, and colony rederivation to accelerate timelines and reduce breeding bottlenecks.
Charles River Laboratories has introduced an enhanced in vitro fertilisation (IVF) service bundle designed to support rat-model research across therapeutic areas including oncology, neurology, cardiology, and metabolic diseases. The offering is intended to accelerate preclinical timelines by enabling faster recovery of animal lines, expansion of cohorts, and maintenance of genetic integrity.
The service combines embryo transfer, cryopreservation, and colony rederivation to address breeding constraints that can delay research programmes. It also includes dedicated project management, with optional health monitoring and genetic validation to support continuity across discovery, pharmacology, and translational studies.
According to the company, the IVF approach replaces natural mating, reducing the number of animals required while enabling fertilisation in a laboratory environment. This allows for embryo production, genetic modification, and preservation, as well as recovery of cryopreserved models and maintenance of health standards through rederivation.
“The introduction of rat IVF is an exciting step forward for Charles River, helping shorten breeding timelines and deliver more consistent, predictable outcomes while making it easier to build healthy animal colonies and keep research moving forward.”
Colin Dunn, Corporate Senior Vice President, Global Research Models & Services at Charles River
The IVF service is part of Charles River’s Genetically Engineered Model Services (GEMS) portfolio, which provides customised colony management, breeding strategies, and logistical support. The company stated that the expanded offering is designed to help researchers manage model development more efficiently while supporting drug development programmes.
