Under the deal the firm – which currently provides reagents for endotoxin analysis – gains Accugenix's contract microbial testing service laboratories in Germany and the US which specialise in bacterial and fungal identification and strain typing of environmental isolates.
Speaking to Outsourcing-Pharma.com, Charles River Labs’s Guy Mbaya admitted the new service was “no different” to others already available on the market, but that combined with the contract research organisation's (CRO) existing offering it now has the advantage of being able to work from conception to finish.
Mbaya, the European technical service coordinator of endotoxin and microbial detection, said: “This service is nothing new, but I think what we’re doing is taking over something that is already a good service.
“Accugenix has already demonstrated its ability to compete and they have a huge microbial data base and big experience in the field. Combined with our service it’s a more complete offering.”
He added that there is currently very little competition in the endotoxin testing and microbial detection services market, which he believes will provide an opportunity for Charles River's expanded offering.
“The endotoxin field is quite a small market at the moment, and because it’s a small market we can easily reach the maximum production and potential in the field we can have,” he said.
Growing need
Charles River also says the move is a response to a growing industry demand for speedier endotoxin and microbial services.
“For many years microbial technology has not been as fast as it is today, but it is improving all the time - for instance they had to use dye for bacteria gram quality,” said Mbaya. “If you look at the microbial market, competitive pharma companies are all looking for better and faster results.”
He said that by adopting Accugenix’s sophisticated technology to provide a one-stop-shop service, the company can provide quicker results.
“Our clients have a need to get their products delivered quickly, and we can now help that by providing a fuller service than before,” he said. “We can work right the way from pre-clinical, to testing to release.”