In this article, Charles River Senior Scientific Director Susan Y. Smith discusses the skeleton’s function in human physiology. "We lose weight: we lose bone; we build muscle: we build bone; we become diabetic: bones become fragile," wrote Smith. "Bone fragility and treating the consequences of fracture is a major public health concern costing millions of annual tax dollars, underscoring the need to ensure that nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals are safe or beneficial for the skeleton."

Representatives from leading contract research organizations (CROs) weigh in on key challenges tied to the biopharmaceutical R&D, including issues regarding bioequivalence, platform technologies, process analytics, and more. Charles River’s Nancy Gillett, PhD, corporate executive vice-president and president of Global Preclinical Services, participated in this roundtable.