Charles River gets DoJ subpoena on Cambodian supply of lab monkeys

Inotiv

22/02/2023 13:40

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Contract research firm Charles River
Laboratories  CRL.N  said on Wednesday that it had received a
subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice over an
investigation into the supply of non-human primates from
Cambodia.
        The DoJ had in November charged members of an
international primate smuggling ring with multiple felonies for
their role in bringing wild long-tailed macaques into the United
States.
    Charles River expects constraints on the supply of monkeys
to reduce its consolidated revenue growth forecast by about 200
to 400 basis points this year. The company on Wednesday forecast
revenue growth of 1.5% to 4.5% for 2023.
        Shares of the company were down 10% at $218.95 in
premarket trade.
    Long-tailed macaques are protected under the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) and require special permits in order to be
imported into the United States. 
    The company also said it had also voluntarily suspended
shipments of non-human primates from Cambodia at this time. 
    In November last year, contract drug researcher Inotiv Inc
 NOTV.O  disclosed that executives at its main supplier in
Cambodia were charged with violations of U.S. endangered species
law for illegally importing non-human primates.
    Non-human primates are essential in animal models in
biomedical research.
 (Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil
D'Silva)
 ((Sriparna.Roy@thomsonreuters.com;))