Investor Relations

Leading CRO expands footprint in Maryland to support customer demand and RMS geographic growth

WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 2008--In response to increasing demand and to better serve its customer the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today announced the opening of its 52,000 square foot Frederick, Maryland facility. In the new facility, Charles River is working side by side with NCI in a seamless partnership to produce the highest quality research models available.

"In 2008, more than 1.4 million people will be diagnosed with cancer. This translates into one person every 22 seconds, every day this year, being told they have cancer," said Dr. Melinda Hollingshead, Chief of the Biological Testing Branch at The National Cancer Institute-Frederick. "Because Charles River built this facility for us, we are able to invest in the research and development of new therapeutics for patients who need them. By partnering with them, we gain an experienced, high-quality service provider who helps us accelerate our drug development efforts."

Building our clients' facilities for them

The new facility employs approximately 120 employees, 80 of whom are focused on providing genetically defined, pathogen-free mice to support NCI/NIH (National Institutes of Health)-funded research targeting the causes and treatments of infectious and metabolic diseases, cancer and other nationally recognized health issues. In addition, Charles River has assumed responsibility for the management of the NCI/NIH Tumor and Natural Products Repository, which stores a wide array of tumor samples under carefully controlled conditions so that they can be made available to researchers who are exploring the causes and treatment of cancer.

The half of the shared facility dedicated to supporting NCI will be staffed and operated by Charles River's Consulting and Staffing Services (CSS) group. CSS offers recruitment, training, staffing and management services to customers at their sites or in Charles River facilities. The other half of the facility will be occupied by Charles River's Research Models and Services (RMS) business, which will use this new space as a platform for growth in the Baltimore/Washington geographic market.

"Our new Frederick facility is more than just a building that produces the finest research models available globally. This shared-space facility symbolizes the evolving dynamics in the drug development process, as we truly become one with our customers," said James C. Foster, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles River. "Our investment in this state-of-the-art facility coupled with our core competencies of veterinary medicine and science enable us to help accelerate NCI's drug development programs."

Charles River announced the details of its relationship with NCI on September 22, 2006, "Charles River Laboratories Awarded $111.6 Million National Cancer Institute Contract; Charles River to Construct New Facility in Support of NCI and RMS Geographic Expansion." The following press release outlines the details of this agreement. http://ir.criver.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=121668&p=irol-newsArticle&ID= 908299&highlight (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste it into your Internet browser's URL address field. You may also need to remove an extra space in the URL if one exists.)

About Charles River

Accelerating Drug Development. Exactly. 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 more than 8,500 employees worldwide are focused on providing clients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the discovery, development through first-in-human evaluation, 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.

CONTACT: Charles River
Media Contact:
Amy Cianciaruso, 781-222-6168
amy.cianciaruso@crl.com
or
Investor Contact:
Susan E. Hardy, 781-222-6190
susan.hardy@crl.com

SOURCE: Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.