Charles River is firmly committed to the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) to help limit the number of animals used in research. Below are a few examples of how we put the 3Rs into action across multiple facets of our operations.

Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) Cartridge Technology  Our FDA-licensed Endosafe® cartridge technology replaces the use of hundreds of thousands of rabbits each year in the safety testing of human and animal products for contamination. Since 1992, only Charles River requires fishermen to hand-harvest crabs for use in our lab, where their blood (LAL) is harnessed as a natural indicator for contamination. Crabs are then returned to the sea unharmed within a day's time. Additional technology uses human blood cells as an in vitro test system for the detection of pyrogens.

Microsampling The use of microsampling in preclinical drug development helps reduce small animal usage in toxicology studies while refining data by measuring full toxicokinetic profiles from each animal. Overall, the advantages of microsampling far outweigh its limitations in applicable bioanalytical techniques. The use of more sensitive analytical techniques is helping to address these limitations. We have validated this method for small molecules and are currently in validation for large molecules.

Monocyte Activation Test (MAT) We now offer the Monocyte Activation Test (MAT) according to EP 2.6.30. The MAT predicts the human response to pyrogens on the basis of human fever rather than animal models. This test may be used as an alternative to the rabbit pyrogen test. The MAT can test for Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, other biological pyrogens (e.g., yeast), as well as parasitic and viral pyrogens.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) Implementation of the 3Rs is reinforced by our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs), which are found at all of our facilities. The IACUC is responsible for oversight of the facilities' animal care and use program and for assuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations related to animal care and use.