Charles River

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Charles River Laboratories (CR) is an international contract research organization (CRO) and laboratory animal breeding company. Firms hire CROs to conduct animal toxicity tests for agrochemicals, petrochemicals, household products, pharmaceutical drugs and toxins. Charles River was founded in 1947 and has its headquarters in Wilmington, Massachusetts. It has 8,700 employees in 70 facilities in 70 countries. [1] Charles River is the world's largest supplier of laboratory animals. It has been described as the "General Motors of the laboratory animal industry." [2]

Animal testing

Charles River does animal testing.

Animals by species, numbers & locations (United States)

  • Wilmington, MA [3]
  • Boston University, Charles River Campus, Boston, MA [4]

For links to copies of this facility's U.S. Department of Agriculture reports indicating species, number of animals used and other information visit Stop Animal Experimentation Now Facility Reports and Information, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection reports. This Web site lists each of the 50 states; each state's name links to biomedical research facilities in that state, and to PDF copies of government documents where the facilities must report their animal usage.

Animal cruelty & welfare violations

Stop Animal Exploitation Now! (SAEN) is a national research watchdog organization. [5] SAEN has included Charles River among the worst violators of U.S. laws. Charles River amassed 22 violations in one monitoring period, including an incident which left dozens of dogs with bleeding paws. (Government reports and ranking statistics available upon request.) [6]

Animal welfare violations: Sparks, Nevada

In Charles River's Sparks, Nevada facility, thirty-two research monkeys died from overheating due to human error. In a statement issued by Charles River, the monkeys died on May 28, 2008 due to an "incorrect climate-control operation" and that it was immediately reported to federal authorities. However, animal activists have contested whether the company reported the incident immediately or at all. According to Kathy Guillermo of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not open an inquiry until PETA filed a complaint in July. "Their statement about fears for their own safety is absurd," said Guillermo, director of PETA's laboratory investigations department in Norfolk, Virginia. "They have an abysmal record of animal care. As usual, they are more interested in their reputation than in the animals' safety." According to the whistleblower in the case "the monkeys were literally cooked to death by a heating system failure," which demonstrates a lack of a simple alarm system and/or proper supervision. [7]

Former employee animal abuse lawsuit

A former employee of Charles River filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Reno that the company forced him out over age discrimination and his opposition to the treatment of dogs at the facility. Guy Grimsley, age 65, was hired in 2007 to work at Charles River's Sparks, Nevada facility. According to Mr. Grimsley, the firing was due to his position on "unlawful and wrongful animal testing," which he had vowed to oppose. Grimsley, who has a doctorate in pathology and immunology, had been recruited by CR in 2006. In May of 2006 he learned that the lab was planning to conduct experiments involving "severe dog tethering," which they knew he would oppose. Mr. Grimsley had informed the company of European standards requiring dog runs rather than cages. According to Mr. Grimsley, officials had also instructed staff to lie to clients about the dogs' living conditions. Grimsley maintains that he was "summarily terminated" without notice in October. A recent performance evaluation had described his work as "outstanding." [8]

Shamrock Farm live animal import & quarantine, United Kingdom

In 1998, almost all of the 2,467 macaques used in British laboratories came through Shamrock Farm. It was owned by Bausch and Lomb (sunglasses, eye wear) and run by Charles River. Shamrock farm closed in 2000 after a 15-month campaign by "Save the Shamrock Monkeys." [9] According to "Shamfacts," primates imported from Mauritius, the Philippines and China were packed in tiny crates, often too small for them to stand, for up to two and a half days. Subsequently, up to 300 monkeys were kept in tiny cages inside of dark Portakabins. The monkeys were quarantined for up to two months before being sold for vivisection. Following campaigns exposing the cruel conditions of monkeys being transported on long flights, many airlines and ferry companies refused to transport animals for Shamrock. Shamrock customers included Huntingdon Life Sciences, SmithKline Beecham, GaxoWellcome and Inveresk Clinical Research. [10]

CR & other organizations

American Veterinary Medical Association

As part of its "Humane Care Initiative," the "Charles River Prize" was established in 1977 "to recognize distinguished contributions to laboratory animal science and to promote educational growth in that field." Recipients must be members of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in the field of animal testing. The award is $2,500 and a plaque. [11], [12] The AMVA reliably lobbies against animal welfare issues and legislation in favor of industry concerns. See also American Veterinary Medical Association, sections 1 & 2.

Public relations

Americans for Medical Progress

Americans for Medical Progress's (AMP) board of directors consists of senior executives and other representatives employed by the pharmaceutical and vivisection industries. Board members represent multinational, billion dollar corporations as well as universities and institutions receiving government grants for vivisection. They include: Charles River, Abbott Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Wyeth. [13]

Aquisitions & mergers

During the fiscal year ending December 27, 2008, the company acquired NewLab BioQuality AG and MIR Preclinical Services. [14]

Inveresk & R.J. Reynolds

In July of 2004, Charles River Laboratories International merged with Inveresk Research Group, Inc. [15] Inveresk is doing R.J. Reynolds analogue studies in Edinborough. <tdo>resource_id=29484 resource_code=inveresk_cl_res search_term=Inveresk Clinical Research</tdo>

Finances

Charles River's annual revenues for the fiscal year ending in 2008 were 1.34 billion dollars. [16]

Quotable

There isn't a single genetically manipulated mouse that has been used yet to produce a drug that cures a disease.
--said by Kathleen Murray of Charles River (the world's largest lab animal breeding company) [17]

Board of Directors

  • James C. Foster, Chairman, President & CEO
  • Nancy T. Chang, Ph.D., Managing Director, OrbiMed Advisors
  • Stephen D. Chubb, Former Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Matritech, Inc.
  • Deborah Kochevar, DVM, PhD, DACVCP
  • Dean, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University
  • George E. Massaro, Director and Vice Chairman; Huron Consulting Group, Inc.
  • George M. Milne, Jr., Ph.D., Retired Exec. VP, Global Research & Development; President of Central Research, Pfizer Inc.
  • C. Richard Reese, Chairman and CEO, Iron Mountain, Inc.
  • Douglas E. Rogers, Partner, Blackstone Healthcare Partners LLC
  • Samuel O. Thier, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Professor of Healthcare Policy, Emeritus Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • William Waltrip, Ret. Chairman & CEO, Bausch & Lomb, Inc.

[18]

Contact

Charles River
251 Ballardvale Street
Wilmington, MA 01887
Phone: (978) 658-6000
Fax: (978) 658-7132
[19]

Articles & sources

SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ Charles River Charles River at a Glance, June 2009
  2. ↑ C. Roland Christensen, Business Policy: Text and Cases, January 1982 p. 54, ISBN 9780256014518
  3. ↑ Humane Society of the U.S. Research Facilities, Charles River Laboratories, accessed January 2009
  4. ↑ Humane Society of the U.S. Research Facilities, Charles River, Boston University , accessed January 2009
  5. ↑ Wiserearth Description of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, accessed November 20, 2008
  6. ↑ Micheal Budkie, Pharmaceutical/Testing Companies Among Nation’s Leaders for Federal Violations, Says Watchdog Group, Stop Animal Exploitation Now!, February 2007
  7. ↑ Scott Sonner 32 research monkeys die in accident at Nevada lab, Associated Press, August 2008
  8. ↑ Associated Press Fired researcher claims animal cruelty at NV lab, Kolotv.com, Sept 2008
  9. ↑ Animal Rights Bit Torrents Shamrock Monkey Farm: The Campaign, January 2006
  10. ↑ Cafin Shamfacts, accessed February 2009
  11. ↑ AMVA JAVMA, October 2003
  12. ↑ Charles River Awards & Scholarships, accessed January 2009
  13. ↑ Americans for Medical Progress Board of Directors, accessed February 2009
  14. ↑ NY Stock Exchange, Euronex Charles River Laboratories, accessed January 2009
  15. ↑ Charles River Charles River Laboratories and Inveresk to Combine to Create a Leading Global Partner to the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry, News Release, July 2004
  16. ↑ Charles River Charles River at a Glance, accessed June 2009
  17. ↑ Kinshipcircle.org Animal Experimentation: Product Testing, Biomedical Research, Non-Animal Research, accessed January 2009
  18. ↑ Charles River About us: Corporate Governance - Board of Directors, accessed February 2009
  19. ↑ NY Stock Exchange, Euronex Charles River Laboratories, accessed January 2009

External articles

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