Chemistry Guides Key Decisions

Discovery chemists guide key decisions by considering factors such as client intellectual property (IP) generation, compound stability for in vivo studies, solubility and other poor property issues, weak exposure in an animal, and off-target selectivity. These factors have been used to guide clients and allowed our clients to bring commercially successful therapies to patients in reduced timelines.

Charles River’s chemical discoveries are due to the experience of our scientists and processes put in place across all of our sites. Our translational integrated drug discovery approach enables an efficient navigation of the early discovery process. Our chemistry project managers assist with coordination of medicinal chemistry, synthetic chemistry, biology, structural biology, DMPK, in vivo pharmacology, and formulation.

We provide integrated drug discovery services spanning hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization, all complemented by synthetic, process, and scale-up chemistry, computer-aided drug design, structural biology, assay development and screening, and comprehensive ADME and PK profiling. Services include:

Isotopic Labeling Services: Charles River offers isotopic labeling services, which involve replacing specific atoms in a molecule with stable isotopes. This technique is useful in drug discovery for studying metabolic pathways, assessing drug distribution, and conducting pharmacokinetic studies.

Medicinal Chemistry: Medicinal chemistry services involve designing and synthesizing molecules with therapeutic potential. Their team of experts utilizes their knowledge of drug targets and structure-activity relationships to develop optimized compounds for further evaluation.

Metabolite Synthesis Services: Charles River provides metabolite synthesis services to support the identification and characterization of metabolites formed during drug metabolism. By synthesizing these metabolites, they assist in understanding their pharmacological activities and potential impacts on drug safety and efficacy.

Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD): CADD is an essential tool in drug discovery. We can employ computational methods and software to model and simulate molecular interactions, assisting in the identification and optimization of potential drug candidates.

Synthetic Chemistry: Our skilled chemists employ various synthetic techniques to produce novel molecules that can be further evaluated for their therapeutic potential.

Analytical Chemistry: Charles River's analytical chemistry services focus on characterizing and analyzing the properties of drug candidates and other compounds. This includes techniques such as spectroscopy, chromatography, and mass spectrometry, ensuring the quality, purity, and stability of the compounds.

Process & Scale-up Chemistry: Process and scale-up chemistry is crucial for transitioning a laboratory synthesis to a larger-scale production. We provide expertise in developing scalable synthetic processes, optimizing reaction conditions, and ensuring the efficient production of compounds for further development and clinical studies.

  • Highly experienced chemistry CRO team

    Together, the Charles River discovery chemistry services team is cited as inventors on over 350 patents and for partner organizations across a variety Our discovery chemistry services team has great success and vast experience in progressing small molecule drug discovery programs across a broad range of therapeutic areas and gene families. Our scientists are skilled in the design and synthesis of novel pharmacologically active compounds and understand the challenges facing modern drug discovery.

  • Track record of discovery chemistry

    Together, the Charles River discovery chemistry services team is cited as inventors on over 350 patents and for partner organizations across a variety of therapeutic areas. A high proportion of candidates have progressed to the clinic and our first co-invented drug, Belinostat, received marketing approval in 2015.

  • Flexible business models for discovery chemistry services

    Charles River medicinal chemists work with clients to progress programs quickly and efficiently during all points in the drug discovery workflow. In addition to stand-alone, fee-for-service pricing models, we offer fully integrated discovery chemistry services such as in-sourced chemistry collaborations where Charles River chemists are recognized as integral parts of our client’s chemistry departments.

Discovery Chemistry Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • What is the difference between drug design and drug discovery?

    Drug discovery refers to the process of identifying and developing new potential drug candidates. It involves various stages, such as target identification, hit identification, hit-to-lead optimization, and lead optimization. Drug discovery aims to find molecules or compounds that can potentially interact with a specific target in the body and provide therapeutic benefits. Drug design is a specific subset of drug discovery that focuses on the rational design of new drug molecules. It involves using computer-aided techniques and computational modeling to design molecules that are predicted to interact effectively with the target of interest. Drug design utilizes principles of molecular structure, binding affinity, and pharmacokinetics to create new molecules or modify existing ones to improve their potency, selectivity, and safety profiles.

  • Does Charles River provide in-house drug discovery chemistry consultants?

    Yes, Charles River offers many business models and we are committed to meeting clients needs. Some clients prefer not to recruit in-house chemists and so Charles River provides chemists provide on-site services.

  • Does Charles River provide fee-for-service chemistry services?

    Yes, we provide many business models including a fee-for-service model. Each client is different and we are a flexible chemistry CRO. In some clients have their own medicinal chemistry teams, but require additional chemists to quickly scale up. Some clients leverage Charles River discovery chemistry services a backup to their main series. In this case, we work with our partner’s in-house team to provide the diversity of thought.

  • How many candidates has Charles River progressed through to clinic?

    We are cited as inventors on over 350 patents and have identified 100+ candidates for partner organizations across a variety of therapeutic areas. A high proportion of candidates have progressed to the clinic and our first co-invented drug, Belinostat, received marketing approval in 2015.

  • Does Charles River offer services other than discovery chemistry services?

    Yes, In addition to discovery services such as assay development and screening, pharmacology, ADME and integrated programs, Charles River provides post-discovery services such as safety assessment, biologics, research models, and microbial services. Charles River is proud to have worked on approximately 85% of the drugs approved by the FDA in 2018.