Charles River Laboratories (CRL) has made an equity investment in JADE and formed a strategic business partnership to expand worldwide joint biologics quality and clinical testing capabilities.
JADE is a provider of end-to-end quality management services for the biopharmaceutical industry. The partnership will expand CRL’s biologics testing capabilities geographically and help to accommodate demand for biologics therapeutics, especially cell and gene therapies, reaffirming the company’s commitment as a global development partner. This strategic relationship will also enable JADE to expand their current global Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) product testing operations in Shanghai into a second facility and further build upon its current offering of comprehensive biologics quality management and testing services.
As the biologics therapeutics industry across the globe continues to grow at a rapid pace, so does the demand for a reliable contract services partner. The recent growth in commercialization efforts in the cell and gene therapy market requires both scientific and regulatory expertise to navigate the complex, global regulatory environment. JADE’s deep understanding of global trends and the local environment, and its infrastructure designed to support clients of all sizes—from local start-ups to global organizations—makes it a highly valuable addition to Charles River’s network. The addition of a second JADE testing facility, which will come online later this year, will provide additional capacity to better support clients’ growing needs. The new facility will offer GMP and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) services to clients.
Claudia Lin, Ph.D., JADE Founder & CEO, said, “We were founded with the purpose of serving the growing needs of the biopharmaceutical industry, not only in China, but internationally. JADE is a contracted Biologics Quality Organization (Bio-CQO™), where end-to-end quality and regulatory technical services are provided as an important addition to the biologics outsourced services industry, filling gaps in shortage of expertise and leadership in quality and compliance. To continue our growth in biologics therapeutics, especially in the gene and cell therapy space, we needed a partner with global reach. With an industry-leading portfolio of services and regulatory expertise, CRL will help us support an increasing number of clients globally and locally.”
Bill T. Sautter, Managing Director of Dresner Partners, said, “I’ve been pleased to advise JADE for several years, and to see this strategic transaction come to fruition. JADE is in the right place at the right time, in the world’s largest biopharmaceutical market, and Dr. Claudia Lin is a well-respected industry leader—including being a China National Expert. JADE, along with CRL, have a tremendous market opportunity in biopharma quality services, including helping their clients to manage the regulatory application/approval process, clinical laboratory testing, clinical trials, and manufacturing.”
Steven M. Dresner, President of Dresner Partners, added, “CRL’s equity investment in JADE, along with the formation of a strategic business partnership between the two companies, demonstrates the growing global market demand for joint biologics quality and clinical testing capabilities. I’d like to congratulate JADE and CRL on the formation of this partnership, and Bill Sautter of the Dresner team for his efforts to bring these leading organizations together.”
