Charles River Laboratories International Inc. has announced the second cohort of its Cell & Gene Therapy Incubator Program (CIP).

Launched in December 2024, with the inaugural cohort announced in April 2025, the program provides early-stage biotechnology pioneers with access to scientific and commercial expertise, as well as an ecosystem of discovery, development, and manufacturing capabilities, to expedite the development of technologies and life-changing therapies for patients in need.

“The CIP’s success shows how effectively it attracts top talent and promotes innovation,” said Kerstin Dolph, Corporate Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing, Charles River. “By establishing a strong foundation for commercial viability, the CIP is helping participants advance life-saving therapeutics and transform innovative ideas into real-world impact.”

The CIP cohort of six companies comprises four advanced therapy developers: CureAge Therapeutics, InterAct Therapeutics, Jaan Biotherapeutics, Inc., and Kopra Bio, plus two enabling technology developers: W.R. Grace & Co. (Grace), and HTLab AG’s Biowerkli. Program participants benefit from tailored mentorship, consultative regulatory and quality expertise, fit-for-purpose training initiatives, and preferential access to Charles River’s global network of facilities, curated to support cell and gene therapies from concept to cure.

Advanced Therapy Developers

• CureAge Therapeutics: Developing a platform to treat peripheral nerve diseases affecting more than 180 million people worldwide. Starting with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that causes peripheral nerve tumors, CureAge uses lipid nanoparticles and a local route of administration to deliver genetic treatment directly to tumor cells, aiming to restore NF1 gene function and eliminate surrounding tumor cells.
• InterAct Therapeutics: A preclinical stage biotech company developing AAV8-based gene therapies for metastatic cancer, with an initial focus on breast cancer-derived liver metastases (BC-LM).
• Jaan Biotherapeutics, Inc.: Focused on novel therapies to activate the cardiac regeneration process in diseased hearts using proprietary microRNA targeting technologies, Jaan Biotherapeutics, Inc. aims to initiate clinical testing for its lead programs in 2027.
• Kopra Bio: A Y Combinator (YC) backed start-up developing an in vivo tumor editing platform targeting solid tumors with an initial focus on the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma. Kopra Bio’s breakthrough technology enables safe, specific and durable delivery of therapeutic payloads, directly to the site of the tumor, driving treatment response while limiting off-target effects.

Enabling Technology Developers

• Grace: A global supplier of specialty chemicals and pharmaceutical solutions, Grace is advancing bioprocessing applications for its proprietary superparamagnetic silica technology in plasmid DNA production. Participation in the incubator enables Grace to accelerate advanced therapy innovations and unlock novel uses for its platform.
• HTLab Biowerkli: Reinforced by open-source AI, the Swiss-based technology company aims to empower the global biotech community with transparent, accessible AI, digitalization, and smart biomanufacturing tools to accelerate the development of safe, life-changing therapies for patients by turning disconnected data into a predictive engine for manufacturing and release success.