- Toxys and Charles River Laboratories have expanded their collaboration to increase access to ToxTracker® and ReproTracker®, two New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for assessing genotoxicity and developmental toxicity.
- Under the agreements, Charles River will offer ToxTracker through its Den Bosch facility under a licensing arrangement, while ReproTracker testing will be performed by Toxys under a subcontracting agreement.
Toxys, a biotechnology company specializing in in vitro toxicology solutions, and Charles River Laboratories have expanded their collaboration to broaden access to two New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for genotoxicity and developmental toxicity assessment. The partnership will make ToxTracker® and ReproTracker® available through Charles River’s safety assessment services for pharmaceutical, chemical, agrochemical and consumer product development.
Under a licensing agreement, Charles River will offer ToxTracker through its facility in Den Bosch, the Netherlands. Under a separate subcontracting agreement, Charles River will offer ReproTracker, with testing conducted at Toxys. The collaboration combines Toxys’ mechanistic assay platforms with Charles River’s global safety assessment capabilities.
The expansion follows the publication of OECD Test Guideline 446A for ToxTracker on July 2, 2026. The guideline describes the assay as a standardized reporter gene method for identifying genotoxic hazards and providing mechanistic information on genotoxic and non-genotoxic modes of action. Validation studies have shown that these insights can help predict in vivo genotoxicity outcomes and interpret equivocal or positive results from established in vitro assays.
ReproTracker is based on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and uses biomarkers to model aspects of early embryonic development. The assay is designed to identify potential developmental toxicity hazards before, or in support of, safety assessment studies. Together, the two platforms provide complementary information on genetic and developmental hazards.
“The expanded collaboration would make the company’s in vitro platforms more accessible for toxicology and regulatory decision-making. The companies aim to support more human-relevant safety assessments and contribute to reducing animal testing where scientifically appropriate.”
Toxys CEO Giel Hendriks
