WILMINGTON, Mass. / Nov 09, 2023 / Business Wire / Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today announced that its team of neuroscience drug discovery experts will present 19 scientific posters, both independently and collaboratively with clients, at Neuroscience 2023, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). The meeting, which brings together leading researchers from across the globe, will take place from November 11-15 in Washington, DC.

“Neuroscience is one of the most complex areas of drug discovery,” Antti Nurmi, PhD, MSc, Regional General Manager, Europe, Charles River. “I am excited about recent advances in this field, especially innovations in how we are using artificial intelligence and machine learning. These innovations will ultimately accelerate success in this critical field of drug development.”

Highlighting Scientific Leadership

Throughout the conference, Charles River experts will present posters and host discussions on the latest developments in neuroscience research and innovative approaches to tackling neurodegenerative disorders. Posters are being presented on a range of topics, including phenotypic screening and cell models, the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in preclinical imaging, and research into Huntington’s disease.

• Dose-dependent Modulation of brain activity by Psilocybin in mice: Insights from Functional Ultrasound Imaging (Presented by Susanne Back: Sunday, November 12, 9:00-10:00 AM EST)
• Improved Kinematic Gait Phenotype in hDMDdel52/mdx mouse model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy after Treatment with Antisense Oligonucleotide BMN351 (Presented by Jussi Rytkonen: Sunday, November 12, 1:00-2:00 PM EST)
• Development of an ASO-based therapy targeting UBE3A for a patient with Dup15q Syndrome (Presented by Malika Bsibsi: Monday, November 13, 1:00-2:00 PM EST)
• Characterization of conditional Q175 (cQ175) and Q20 (cQ20) knockout models (Presented by Susanne Back: Wednesday, November 15, 3:00-4:00 PM EST)

“For patients suffering with neurodegenerative disease, innovation in this field is critical,” said Gunnar Flik, Site Director, Groningen at Charles River. “At Charles River, we have over 20 years of experience, and a team of industry-leading experts who are dedicated to advancing the pace of research.”

Partnerships Driving Innovation in Neuroscience

On Monday, November 13, from 6:30-9:00 PM EST at the Westin Washington DC Downtown (Anacostia Ballroom), the Charles River team will host a networking reception where thought leaders will be available to discuss topics including selecting appropriate models and assays, translation of preclinical studies into clinical success, and how the right partner can support programs from drug discovery through regulatory approval to commercialization.

On Tuesday, November 14, at 4:00 PM EST, Dr. Malika Bsibsi, Research Leader at Charles River will participate in a showcase with Dr. Javier Conde-Vancells, Director Product Management, bit.bio, to share data on the functional and consistency properties of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived ioMicroglia™. bit.bio and Charles River have a long-standing strategic partnership focused on the development and characterization of wild type and disease state hiPSC-derived neurons and muscle cells. For years, widely used protocols for generating hiPSC-derived microglia have required long, complex workflows that suffer from lot-to-lot inconsistency. This presentation will highlight the use of hiPSC-derived ioMicroglia™ in assays, including phagocytosis, cytokine secretion and chemotaxis, in just 10 days post-thaw.

Lastly, the increased use of AI/ML in drug discovery has allowed medicinal chemists to operate at a vastly different scale than traditional approaches, by enabling them to search much larger universes of potential compounds. In 2022, Charles River and Valo Health launched Logica™, an AI-powered solution that directly translates clients’ biological insights into optimized preclinical assets. Members of the Logica team will be available to discuss the unique risk-sharing model of Logica that ties costs to value generation points

A full schedule of Charles River’s activities during Neuroscience 2023 is available online. Additionally, experts will be available at Booth #1717 for meetings with those interested in discussing neuroscience research and drug discovery.

About Charles River

Charles River provides essential products and services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts. Our dedicated employees are focused on providing clients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of new therapies for the patients who need them. To learn more about our unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.criver.com.