Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has announced a multidisciplinary program, funded through a USD 1.3 million grant from the Foundation for Chemistry Research & Initiatives (FCRI), in coordination with the American Chemistry Council’s Long-Range Research Initiative (ACC LRI), to develop a New Approach Methodology (NAM) inhalation toxicology test to reduce reliance on traditional animal research methods.

The program is a collaboration between Charles River’s Edinburgh, Scotland team, along with MatTek Corporation (in vitro EpiAirway model and expertise), dosimetry modeling by Battelle, and modeling consultancy from Greek Creek Toxicokinetics Consulting, LLC. This collaboration is guided by Charles River’s Alternative Methods Advancement Project (AMAP), an initiative focused on reducing the use of animals in research.

“We are deeply committed to advancing alternative methods, and this program is an important step toward removing the need for animal models in inhalation toxicology studies,” said Shannon Parisotto, Corporate Executive Vice President, Global Discovery & Safety Assessment. “Charles River’s industry-leading expertise uniquely positions us to progress research in this area, and we are excited by the multidisciplinary partnership that will drive this program forward.”

The grant was awarded by FCRI in support of ACC LRI’s mission to catalyze innovations in chemical safety assessment sciences. This grant will advance the development of an integrated approach to the testing and assessment of chemicals, allowing researchers to use screening assays for safety and efficacy testing of aerosol substances without needing to utilize animal research models.

“The collaborative team from Charles River, MatTek, Battelle, and Greek Creek Toxicokinetic Consulting developed a thorough scientific program of work in response to our call for proposals that will significantly advance in vitro inhalation safety assessment methods. The data from this research project will be integral to informing scientific confidence for applying this NAM in product stewardship and regulatory evaluations,” said Richard Becker, Lead Scientist, ACC LRI.

“By integrating MatTek's advanced 3D human tissue models into toxicology testing workflows, we are bridging the gap between animal testing and human biology,” said Alex Armento, Chief Executive Officer, MatTek.

“This partnership marks a pivotal moment where innovation and collaboration will lead us toward safer and more reliable outcomes for all. As an organization, we are continuously working to advance the 4Rs, and our Responsibility to develop safe, effective alternatives are embedded in everything we do,” Parisotto added.