This partnership aims to enhance therapeutic discovery and expedite the journey to Investigational New Drug (IND) submission by combining Charles River's comprehensive expertise in antibody discovery, safety, and analytics with Wheeler’s advanced Portable CMC® platform. The integrated offering is designed to simplify the development process, reducing the need for multiple vendor engagements and thereby streamlining the path from preclinical stages to clinical manufacturing and release testing.

Wheeler Bio’s Portable CMC® platform, operating out of state-of-the-art process development labs in Oklahoma City, OK, and a satellite lab in Waltham, MA, offers a validation-ready production process that minimizes technical and regulatory risks. This approach provides startup biotech companies with an efficient, high-quality, and affordable pathway to clinical supply. The platform features modular work packages, standard analytics, and discrete CMC milestones tailored to align with fundraising milestones, all of which are designed to accelerate the delivery of new treatments to patients.

Julie Frearson, Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Charles River, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We are thrilled to provide Charles River clients with access to Wheeler’s innovative Portable CMC® platform, which will optimize their workflows and ultimately bring new treatments to patients faster.”

Jesse McCool, CEO and Co-Founder of Wheeler Bio, also commented on the expansion of their relationship with Charles River, highlighting the benefits of integrating discovery CRO and CDMO workflows to speed the path to first-in-human trials. “Our combined sales teams look forward to co-promoting these services for the benefit of our biotech partners and their pipelines towards clinical impact,” said McCool.

This collaboration between Charles River and Wheeler Bio underscores a shared commitment to innovation and efficiency in the drug development process, promising to deliver significant benefits to biotech companies and ultimately, to patients awaiting new therapies.