Charles River Laboratories is laying off staff at one of its East Coast sites just over a week after announcing a strategic shift that will also see the CRO giant sell off business units and shift investments.
“We have decided to relocate research models production from Wilmington, Massachusetts, to other Charles River Research Models’ sites in the United States which are a more strategic fit for future operations,” a company spokesperson told Fierce Biotech.
As part of that relocation, about 70 employees—less than 5% of the total at the site—are being laid off, the spokesperson said. Some affected staffers may be able to move to other positions within the company. The spokesperson confirmed the decision is part of the recently announced strategic plan.
“We anticipate all research model production will be transitioned by mid-2026,” the spokesperson added.
Asked whether more layoffs are planned in the future, the spokesperson did not respond.
Charles River announced it would conduct a strategic review in May and revealed the results Nov. 5, the same day the organization’s third-quarter earnings showed revenue has continued its downward slide.
The CRO intends to shed “underperforming or non-core” parts of its business that make up about 7% of the company’s projected 2025 revenue, alongside improvements in operational efficiency that are meant to save $70 million per year and deeper investments into animal testing alternatives.
Alternatives to animals, called new approach methodologies or NAMs, have become a hot area during the second Trump administration. The National Institutes of Health has launched a new center for organoid research and an office to lead research efforts on NAMs, while the FDA announced plans to end animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibodies.
Charles River has responded by joining the Validation and Qualification Network, an NAM initiative led by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, and appointing FDA veteran Namandjé Bumpus, Ph.D., to lead a scientific advisory board guiding the company’s NAM strategy.