Charles River Laboratories International and The Francis Crick Institute (Crick) have entered a new collaboration in Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) drug discovery and development, aiming to accelerate the development and delivery of next-generation targeted therapies.

This agreement leverages an integrated approach to streamline discovery and characterization—bringing promising ADC candidates to the clinic faster and more efficiently. 

This end-to-end approach—spanning antibody discovery, conjugation, in vitro profiling, and preclinical studies—will be fully integrated and managed jointly by Charles River and the Crick to minimize timelines and maximize efficiency.

The collaboration will feature antibody generation leveraging phage display libraries, ensuring high-affinity, target-specific antibodies as the foundation for ADC development. It will also utilize Charles River’s advanced Retrogenix platform, an in vitro profiling technology designed to evaluate off-target interactions and enhance safety and therapeutic index early in the development process.

“This integrated ADC development agreement represents a powerful synergy between cutting-edge antibody discovery and rigorous safety profiling,” said Justin Bryans, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Charles River. “Together, we’re enabling the development of smarter, safer therapeutics that are more likely to succeed in the clinic—ultimately supporting the mission of delivering life-changing therapies to patients.”

David Allen, Director of Translation at the Crick, added, “This collaboration marks a powerful convergence of innovation and execution. Working together will allow us to translate our research discoveries into new treatments at a scale and speed that simply wouldn’t be possible alone.”