Investor Relations

WILMINGTON, Mass., Sep 3, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) has been added to the Standard & Poor's S&P MidCap 400 Stock Index. The S&P MidCap 400 Index is comprised of US publicly traded companies, based on market value, liquidity and industry representation. The Index is used by 95% of US managers and pension plan sponsors, and more than $25 billion is indexed to the S&P MidCap 400. Charles River is included within the Index's Biotechnology sub-industry category, within the Health Care industry sector.

James C. Foster, Chairman & CEO of Charles River, commented: "Becoming a part of the S&P MidCap 400 Index is a welcome acknowledgement of Charles River's growth and success since our reentry into the public markets in June 2000. I'm particularly pleased for our nearly 5,000 employees worldwide, who have worked hard to achieve our strategic goals, and to build long-term shareholder value."

Charles River Laboratories, based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, in a leading provider of critical research tools and integrated support services that enable innovative and efficient drug discovery and development. The Company is the global leader in providing the animal research models required in research and development for new drugs, devices and therapies. The Company also offers a broad and growing portfolio of biomedical products and services that enable customers to reduce cost, increase speed, and enhance productivity and effectiveness in drug discovery and development. Charles River's customer base spans over 50 countries, and includes all of the major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as many leading hospitals and academic institutions. The Company operates 78 facilities in 16 countries worldwide. For more information, visit the Company's web site as http://www.criver.com.

CONTACT:
Charles River Laboratories
Susan Hardy
Dennis Shaughnessy
Ir@criver.com
1-978-658-6000

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