Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE: CRL) is a contract research organization that provides drug discovery, preclinical, and safety testing services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. It makes money through fee-for-service contracts covering laboratory animal research models, safety assessment studies, and drug discovery support. The company operates three reported segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Solutions. Its customers include large pharmaceutical companies, emerging biotechs, and government and academic institutions that outsource early-stage drug development work rather than build the capability in-house. Non-human primate supply chain availability is cited in the FY2025 10-K as a material operational risk, indicating the centrality of animal research models to the business. The filing covers fiscal year 2025, with the 10-K filed February 18, 2026.

Revenue model

Fee-for-service contracts across preclinical research, safety assessment, and manufacturing support services. Revenue is transactional and study-based, tied to volume of studies, animal model sales, and testing services performed for biopharma clients.

Products and services

Research models and services (including laboratory rodents and non-human primates), discovery and safety assessment studies (preclinical toxicology, pharmacology), and manufacturing solutions (biologics testing, microbial solutions, cell and gene therapy support).

Customers and end markets

Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, medical device companies, government agencies, and academic institutions. End markets are early-stage drug development and regulatory-required safety testing. Customer concentration data not extractable from the provided filing excerpts.

Value-chain role

Outsourced preclinical contract research organization sitting between drug discovery and clinical trials in the pharmaceutical development value chain. Provides the animal models, testing infrastructure, and scientific services that drug developers require before human trials.

Geographic exposure

Geographic revenue breakdown not extractable from the provided filing excerpts.

Source: SEC 10-K, filed 2026-02-18

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