WILMINGTON, Mass. — Charles River Laboratories and the CHDI Foundation have announced the extension of their long-standing collaboration focused on developing therapies for Huntington’s disease (HD), a rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder. The renewed agreement marks the 20th anniversary of a partnership that has become one of the longest-running in Huntington’s research.
Since 2005, Charles River and CHDI have worked together to accelerate drug discovery and development efforts aimed at combating HD. The expanded partnership will provide greater integration of Charles River’s scientific expertise across its global network and offer CHDI more flexibility in accessing a wide range of research and development services.
“For two decades, we’ve been proud to partner with CHDI, supporting their mission to advance treatments for Huntington’s disease,” said Shannon M. Parisotto, Executive Vice President of Global Discovery & Safety Assessment at Charles River. “We look forward to continuing this critical work to bring much-needed therapies to families affected by this devastating condition.”
The collaboration spans a broad portfolio of multidisciplinary services, including small molecule drug discovery, stem cell and iPSC-derived neuronal assay development, high-throughput and high-content screening, computational chemistry, protein crystallography, in vivo pharmacology, biomarker discovery, and safety pharmacology. Together, the teams have driven forward dozens of projects, resulting in 15 composition of matter patent applications.
CHDI’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Robert Pacifici, emphasized the close scientific partnership that has evolved over the years. “The Charles River team have become true scientific colleagues. Their intellectual and technical contributions have been invaluable to our work, and we’re excited to deepen this collaboration to continue advancing potential treatments for HD.”
Over the course of the partnership, Charles River and CHDI have developed and validated preclinical models, tested therapeutic candidates, and explored novel drug targets. The collaboration has not only propelled CHDI’s own programs but also helped advance the broader HD research field, now encompassing over 50 pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Dr. David Fischer, Chief Technology Officer for Discovery at Charles River, highlighted the team’s dedication to the cause. “Our scientists are closely integrated with CHDI’s team and deeply committed to pushing forward innovative research until effective HD treatments become a reality.”
As part of the extended agreement, CHDI will also share research data with Charles River’s machine learning systems, contributing to the development of one of the industry’s most robust and diverse datasets. Charles River emphasized its commitment to data privacy and responsible use, ensuring client confidentiality through irreversible data processing and secure sharing platforms.
With this renewed commitment, both organizations reaffirm their shared goal: accelerating the discovery of effective therapies for Huntington’s disease and improving the lives of those affected.
