Charles River and The Jackson Laboratory Cooperate in International Supply of Mouse Research Models

JAX® Bulletin #11
September 2001
 

Overview

In July 2001, The Jackson Laboratory and Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Charles River Laboratories, Inc., entered into an international cooperative relationship to supply The Jackson Laboratory's JAX® Mice to biomedical researchers located in European and Pacific Rim countries. According to this cooperative relationship, effective August 1, 2001, Charles River now serves as the exclusive import and distribution agent in European and Pacific Rim countries for all JAX® Mice strains and also it is authorizedto breed, for distribution, selected, high demand JAX® Mice strains, under Jackson's guidance, in local Charles River breeding facilities in Europe and Japan.

This new relationship combines The Jackson Laboratory's scientific expertise and technical know-how in mouse model development and mouse-based biomedical research with Charles River's global organization and resources to help advance worldwide research efforts to better understand and solve human disease problems.

Background Information

1. Purpose of the Relationship

The Jackson Laboratory entered into this new relationship with Charles River in order to further its mission of improving the quality of human life through discoveries arising from The Jackson Laboratory's own genetic research and by enabling the research and education of researchers around the world. This relationship helps advance biomedical research in European and Pacific Rim countries by:

  • Providing locally bred supplies of selected JAX® Mice that are in high demand;
  • Offering the researchers the convenience of working with Charles River?s local customer service organizations to place orders for JAX® Mice in local time zones, languages, and currencies;
  • Expediting the dissemination of The Jackson Laboratory?s information about new mouse models and new strain applications through use of Charles River?s existing communication channels, contacts, and local organizations.

2. Countries Included in the Agreements

Charles River has been authorized to distribute JAX® Mice in Austria, Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

3. Direct Distribution by The Jackson Laboratory

This new relationship applies specifically to distribution of all JAX® Mice and breeding of some selected JAX® Mice only in European and Pacific Rim countries (see above). The Jackson Laboratory will continue to distribute directly to researchers from any country but strongly encourages researchers in European and Pacific Rim countries to order JAX® Mice from Charles River organizations for a local supply of some JAX® Mice strains and for the convenience of working with a local customer service staff.

4. Transition Period

JAX® Mice customers in the European and Pacific Rim countries listed in Section 3 can continue to obtain JAX® Mice from their currently used import agents until October 31, 2001. As always, researchers from any country can obtain JAX® Mice directly from The Jackson Laboratory. However, placing orders through Charles River organizations in European and Pacific Rim countries provides international researchers the convenience of a local supply of some JAX® Mice strains in high demand and of working with a local customer service organization.

5. JAX® Mice Strains Included in New Relationship

  • Charles River is authorized to distribute all JAX® Mice strains in the countries listed in section 3.
  • Charles River is authorized to breed selected JAX® Mice strains in high demand (e.g., C57BL6/J@Crl) in their European and Japanese breeding facilities then to distribute within the international countries listed in Section 3.

Important Notes:

  1. A local supply of selected JAX® Mice strains will NOT be immediately available. The process of establishing and expanding JAX® Mice breeding colonies (along with conducting all required health and genetic quality testing) at international Charles River breeding facilities will require a few months of time.
  2. There are no plans for Charles River to provide a local supply of JAX® Mice repository strains (i.e., occasionally used, specialty strains) from their international breeding facilities. The Jackson Laboratory will continue to serve as an international repository as well as a strain development, characterization, breeding and distribution center for mouse models, whether of high or low demand by the worldwide research community.

6. JAX® Mice Quality

Working closely with Charles River, The Jackson Laboratory will ensure that JAX® Mice raised in Charles River's European and Japanese breeding facilities meet the highest standards for animal health and genetic quality. The Jackson Laboratory will provide diligent oversight and routinely audit the breeding and quality control methods, procedures, activities, and documentation used at Charles River's international facilities for the production and testing of JAX® Mice.

Genetic Quality: JAX® Mice bred in Charles River's facilities in Europe and Japan will originate from pedigreed identified pairs shipped from The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine. As well, JAX® Mice breeding colonies maintained at these Charles River breeding facilities will be re-infused with new pedigreed stock from The Jackson Laboratory on a routine basis to minimize spontaneously occurring genetic drift.

Finally, both Charles River and The Jackson Laboratory will perform routine monitoring for genetic quality of JAX® Mice produced at Charles River as a double-check to help ensure both genetic identity and purity.

Animal Health Quality: JAX® Mice bred in Charles River facilities in Europe and Japan will be monitored for the same pathogenic and opportunistic agents as are the JAX® Mice raised at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. Additionally, the sampling plan, frequency of testing, and diagnostic test methods used for animal health monitoring will be equivalent to those used at The Jackson Laboratory.

7. Strain Nomenclature Identifies Breeding Facility

Strain nomenclature will be used to distinguish and trace JAX® Mice produced at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine from those selected JAX® Mice strains produced at Charles River's European and Japanese breeding facilities. Descendants of the pedigreed identified pairs provided by The Jackson Laboratory and used by Charles River as breeding stock will be identified in Charles River literature and shipping documents by the scientifically correct strain nomenclature plus the following additional designations:

  • "J" indicating that The Jackson Laboratory is the source of the strain;
  • "@Crl" indicating that Charles River Laboratories is the breeder;
  • an additional letter (i.e., "X" in the example below) indicating the geographic location of the Charles River breeding facility.

Example of Strain Nomenclature

C57BL/6J@Crl"X" is the scientifically correct name of a strain that is a Jackson Laboratory, JAX® sub-line of C57BL/6 which was bred at Charles River facility "X".