Charles River Laboratories expands Charleston County operations
August 20, 2025
Company investing $13 million in microbial solutions facility
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (Charles River), a leading global drug discovery, development, testing and manufacturing solutions provider, announced it is expanding its operations in Charleston County. The company is investing $13 million in its microbial solutions facility.
Founded in 1947, Charles River provides products and services to help expedite the discovery, early-stage development and manufacture of drugs and therapeutics. The company’s Charleston County site was established more than 30 years ago and offers a portfolio of quality control testing solutions.
Charles River will construct a new cleanroom at its existing site to install automation equipment to produce cartridges for its portable testing system (PTS), as well as its multi-cartridge system (MCS). Charles River’s proprietary, FDA-licensed cartridge technology reduces the need for limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) or recombinant raw materials by 95% compared to traditional testing methods, while reducing hands-on time (HOT) and, ultimately, technician variability.
“Investing in advanced manufacturing is more than just increasing efficiency, it reflects our company’s commitment to being at the forefront of technology in a rapidly evolving environment. Automation allows us to produce our products with the greatest precision, consistency and safety. It also gives our teams the opportunity to focus on high-value work,” said Charles River Laboratories Charleston Site Senior Director Niall Power.
In 2023, Charles River introduced its latest innovation, Endosafe Trillium, an animal-free endotoxin testing solution which strengthens the company’s commitment to sustainability while maintaining patient safety as the top priority. Additionally, the Charleston site recently launched a cartridge recycling program with TerraCycle, which recycles and repurposes water testing cartridges into new products such as outdoor furniture, storage bins, park benches and other durable goods.
Operations are expected to be online in the fourth quarter of 2025.
