Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.
CRL
Health Care
1
exclusion reason
1 theme
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. is a global contract research organization (CRO) whose core business model involves breeding, selling, and testing on animals for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and chemical industry clients. The company is a purpose-bred research animal supplier and provides safety testing services that are required by global regulatory agencies for product approvals, making animal testing central to its operations.
The company has a documented history of animal welfare violations. A 2023 legal filing (Coleman v. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. et al.) references ongoing investigations into the company's compliance with animal care regulations. External watchdog reports, such as from Stop Animal Exploitation NOW, have compiled alleged violations including inadequate veterinary care, failure to provide pain relief, and high-profile incidents like the deaths of 32 monkeys. In 2020, the UK Home Office sanctioned a Charles River facility following a PETA complaint related to the forced inhalation of toxic compounds in rats.
Charles River has also been implicated in broader supply chain controversies. In 2023, the company was drawn into a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into an alleged international monkey trafficking ring involving Cambodian officials. While the company announced a $1.3 million grant program in 2024 to develop non-animal testing methods, its primary revenue remains tied to traditional animal-based research and testing services.
Research Sources
1 organization
Related Exclusions
Wondering what we do invest in?
The Naughty List
A digest of changes to our exclusion list — new additions, removals, and the evidence behind them. We review the list continuously as new evidence surfaces.
Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
Ethical Capital LLC is a state-registered investment adviser in Utah (CRD #316032). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.