Charles River acquires Accugenix
Expands microbial identification capabilities
Charles River Laboratories has acquired Accugenix, a provider of cGMP-compliant contract microbial identification testing, for US$17m, strengthening its endotoxin and microbial detection portfolio.
Charles River said the deal would enable the firm to provide state-of-the-art microbial detection services for manufacturing in the biopharmaceutical, medical device, nutraceutical and consumer care industries.
Newark, Delaware, US-based Accugenix carries out species-level identification and strain typing of bacteria and fungi that are recovered from manufacturing facilities. The firm has invested in proprietary library databases which allow it to identify more than 5,000 species of organisms. Using proprietary in vitro technologies, Accugenix provides microbial identification services that meet internal quality standards and government regulations.
James Foster, chairman, president and chief executive of Charles River, said: ‘The acquisition of Accugenix is the first step in our broader strategy to become the premier provider of rapid microbial and endotoxin detection products and services to the biopharmaceutical industry.
‘Over the next several years, we intend to enhance our capabilities through both product extensions and acquisitions.’
