Charles River Laboratories International Inc (NYSE: CRL) and Autobahn Labs, a virtual accelerator backed by Samsara BioCapital, on Wednesday announced a collaborative agreement to expedite the translation of academic discoveries into novel therapeutics. This partnership positions Charles River as the preferred research partner for Autobahn Labs, offering access to Charles River's comprehensive drug discovery and development capabilities.

As part of the agreement, Charles River has made an equity investment in Autobahn Labs, participating in a fundraising round led by Samsara BioCapital. This investment aims to expand Autobahn's partnerships with top-tier academic institutions, advance preclinical programs, and identify new therapeutic opportunities. Additionally, Justin Bryans, chief scientific officer of Discovery at Charles River, has joined Autobahn's board of directors.

Autobahn Labs, founded in 2019 by Samsara BioCapital, collaborates with leading research institutions to accelerate the development of new therapies, leveraging intellectual, financial and physical capital to transform scientific hypotheses into novel drug candidates.

Charles River provides essential services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and academic institutions worldwide, facilitating research and development of new therapies for patients.