Charles River buys MIR for $22.5M

Charles River Laboratories International says it has acquired fellow USA-based, privately-held Molecular Imaging Research for around $12.5 million in cash. Ann Arbor, Michigan-based MIR provides discovery services supported by extensive in vivo imaging capabilities to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.

The firm offers non-Good Laboratory Practice preclinical efficacy testing services with expertise in the key therapeutic areas of oncology and inflammation. The key differentiator of MIR compared to traditional discovery service providers is the use of multiple modalities of state-of-the-art, in vivo imaging techniques. MIR applies a wide array of high-throughput and efficient imaging technologies, including preclinical positron emission tomography, preclinical micro-computed tomography, anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging and bioluminescence and fluorescence biophotonic imaging.

These extensive imaging services permit non-invasive in situ and quantitative analysis of both efficacy and mechanism of action. The net result is acceleration of the drug discovery process and more precise evaluation of clients' drug candidates than is possible with traditional methods. The company also offers a range of other in vivo, in vitro and analytical services to supplement its core imaging offering.