Our Commitment to Corporate Citizenship

The discovery and development of new therapeutics is a long, complex, and rigorous process, and we work alongside our clients to accelerate patients’ access to safe and effective therapies. We support research along the drug discovery and development continuum with a mission to identify new innovative solutions to solve one of the toughest barriers to new therapies - drug development timelines. We believe that the work we do today can create a better tomorrow where every day, every hour, every minute makes a difference in the lives of patients and their families, because every moment matters.

We are committed to being the indispensable, global scientific partner for our clients by providing scientific expertise and collaboration. To position us for success and as a catalyst for industry-wide progress and to best support the needs of clients, we continuously evaluate our business: our geographic reach; the breadth and strength of our portfolio; and scientific advancements, such as new approach methodologies (NAMs), to modernize drug development with the goal of making this process more efficient.

We are embracing the opportunity to lead our industry into the next frontier of drug development to better serve patients, where every minute, every hour, every day makes a difference to save lives. Advancements in technology and innovation are at the forefront of global drug research and development. We will harness the power of technology to accelerate the drug development process and advance biomedical research. Our collective efforts are formidable and together, we will work with purpose and speed to help the patients who rely on us to deliver effective therapies.

This digital revolution aspires us to push the envelope to ensure we not only offer the best science but can also leverage digital innovations and platforms to drive more value. We recently launched into a new frontier of scientific data with Apollo™, an innovative platform that allows clients to access and share study-related information in a secure environment while unlocking a new world of speed and accessibility. We are creating a solid foundation to harness our full digital potential by leveraging technology and data, and working in an agile way to drive industry transformation.

At Charles River, we remain steadfast in adhering to applicable laws and regulations and meeting global standards of system security and data privacy to responsibly manage, protect, and safeguard information. Our ISO 27001 Certification, an international standard for information security management systems (ISMS), reflects our commitment to the protection and integrity of our client's information at the highest level. In addition, we outline and communicate our global Privacy Governance Framework in our Global Privacy and Data Protection Policy, which includes the overarching standards and procedures for the protection of privacy and Personal Data in accordance with applicable laws.

We believe that creating and maintaining a culture of integrity is the shared responsibility of every Charles River employee. As our business evolves, we continue to enhance and improve our corporate citizenship and governance strategy to ensure that every aspect of our operations reflects our values and commitment to leadership.

Charles River is deeply committed to animal welfare. This includes our commitment to the 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), the Charles River Humane Care Imperative (HCI), and investment in NAMs. The HCI guides our commitment to upholding high standards of humane care and well-being for research animals.

Animals are essential to our understanding of disease progression and biological mechanisms as well as drug safety and efficacy. Before any drug or therapy is brought to market, there are regulations requiring testing in animal models to identify any health or safety risks as well as effectiveness. When animal models are required, the research is highly regulated to ensure responsible, ethical, and humane treatment.

We comply with standards of practice and accepted guidance for the care and use of laboratory animals. Moreover, we participate in voluntary oversight programs, such as AAALAC International, which promotes the responsible treatment of animals in science through a voluntary accreditation program, to assess our compliance through in-depth evaluations of our facilities and practices. View our Animal Welfare and the Humane Treatment of Animals Policy.

Our role as a trusted advisor and business partner is built on our unwavering commitment to compliance and ethics in all that we do. We believe that by maintaining the highest ethical standards, we set an example for appropriate business practices in our industry. Moreover, our culture of compliance and integrity allows us to attract and retain exceptional talent and makes us an indispensable partner to our clients and stakeholders.

The Charles River Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the Code) is critical to how we conduct business. The Code describes many of the legal standards and policies that apply to our business, the responsibilities we share for maintaining a positive and ethical work environment, and to whom you can ask questions or raise concerns about legal, compliance, or ethics issues. It also outlines the available resources. View our public Legal Compliance Policies.

We take an uncompromising stance on the protection of human rights in our own operations, and we expect our supply chain partners to adhere to our same standards of excellence. We are committed to compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and international conventions, and believe that every individual is born free and equal and deserves to be treated fairly and with dignity. Our priorities include running a global human rights and labor practices program that ensures respect for the fundamental rights of all humans across our value chain, aligns with leading practices and meets the increasing expectations of our key stakeholders (including our people, our customers, our investors, and our communities).

Our global government affairs program is focused on engaging regulators, government, and community partners at the federal, state, and local level to ensure that patient safety and exceptional animal welfare remain at the forefront of an ever-evolving industry. New therapies and alternative modalities are developed and discovered every day, but they must be safe and effective before we put these advancements to work. Utilizing our unique perspective and expertise as a partner across the drug discovery and development continuum, we continue to invest in new approaches that will modernize the drug development process. We follow the science to ensure safe and effective treatments are developed for patients that desperately need them. Charles River is a member of numerous industry and trade groups that represent the biomedical or broader business community, and through which we seek to advance collaborative, constructive approaches to industry engagement with policymakers and other stakeholders. We also participate in issue advocacy coalitions and alliances that advance policy proposals focused on key priorities for the Company.

Quality Assurance is a key to our success in maintaining compliance as well as mitigating risk and ensuring global client satisfaction. We operate a Quality Management System (QMS) with an overarching Global Quality Policy, which defines the framework for delivering products and performing services. This is supported by our global QMS, which acts as the underlying mechanism for evaluating regulatory compliance across all operating units. Our QMS reviews, tracks, and monitors quality across the organization and in adherence with regulatory requirements, ensuring a consistent and aligned process across our labs, business activities, and regional operations.

As a global organization of 100 nationalities, five generations, and varying expertise across more than 20 countries, we celebrate our differences and strive to create a workplace where every colleague feels valued, respected, and recognized. In 2025, our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which are open to all employees, grew to more than 4,500 people participating in 11 dedicated global groups. Our focus on belonging is anchored on three strategic pillars: Strengthen Belonging; Expand Access to Opportunities; and Build Healthy and Thriving Communities.

Employee engagement and development are critical to Charles River’s ability to deliver high-quality science, manage operational risk, and create long-term value. From day one, we focus on building an exceptional employee experience that enables our people to grow, perform, and succeed throughout their careers. In 2025, employees completed nearly 745,600 courses, representing an average of 25 hours of annual learning. And by actively listening to employee feedback and equipping leaders at every level, we ensure that people thrive, the leaders elevate performance with care, and that employees feel developed, supported and positioned to advance our mission and business strategy.

We support our people in their well-being journey by providing resources, such as access to an international Employee Assistance Program (iEAP), Care.com premium membership, the Wellable fitness platform, and meQ, a digital coaching solution centered on resiliency and skill-building to manage stress and challenges. Our Emotional Health and Wellness Employee Resource Group (ERG) and Resiliency Building Advocates (RBAs) serve as communities of support to help employees cope with life’s challenges. In addition, we offer a global Employee Relief Fund available to employees facing financial challenges immediately after a natural disaster or an unforeseen personal hardship.

Our focus is on attracting top talent from a broad pool of sources and selecting the most qualified talent based on merit. Our hiring process incorporates structured interview panels, objective evaluation methods, and reasonable accommodations to ensure quality hires. Additionally, our global internship and apprenticeship programs further support the development of future talent pipelines.

Guided by our Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHS&S) Global Operating Framework (GOF), we implement safe and sustainable business practices that comply with applicable safety laws, regulations, and international standards. The Global team works collaboratively with business unit (BU) leaders, site EHS&S leaders, and site leadership to drive its implementation and the achievement of our 2030 EHS&S goals. We announced a public goal in 2020 to reduce our total recordable injury rate (TRIR) by 50% compared to a 2018 baseline, and as of 2025, we have achieved a 22% TRIR reduction. Our actions and supporting initiatives, such as our Safety-First culture, are aligned to our Global Policy on Safety and Sustainability.

Through our Charles River Cares programs, we invest and serve our communities with both our time and philanthropic giving. In 2025, our people volunteered nearly 30,000 hours. We are proud to be the difference in our local communities across our three Community Areas of Focus:

• Thriving Communities: Partnering with organizations, such as food banks, emergency shelters, and youth and family service agencies that provide essential human services to children and vulnerable populations.
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education: Introducing today’s youth to the possibilities of a career in STEM by providing students access to quality STEM materials and opportunities to engage in STEM hands on. Visit STEMatCRL.com for details.
• Health Outcomes: Championing disease education and awareness across our key areas of research impact, such as oncology and rare disease.

Creating a healthier world starts with our daily actions. Working in a healthy, safe, and sustainable manner is embedded in everything we do, and every decision we make. Our approach continuously evolves with our global footprint and is guided by our Global Policy on Safety and Sustainability. Employees in all our businesses and support functions are encouraged to actively engage as leaders in our sustainability initiatives, which include:

• Energy conserving measures such as turning off lights when not needed, closing fume hood sashes at end of day and the conversion of lighting to efficient LED technology
• Waste minimization including reusing and recycling where possible minimizing the amount of waste we send to a landfill. Partnering with our suppliers to promote the purchase of more sustainable products
• Working to ensure that sustainability considerations are incorporated into our policies, work practices, and decision making

For more information about our EHS&S programs and progress, email [email protected].

Our supply chain partners are an integral part of our business, and we rely on supply chain contractors, consultants, suppliers, and agents to help us progress our business and sustainability goals. With the help of our suppliers, we operate responsibly by ensuring quality, accountability, and visibility across our value chain. To assess supply chain risks, we use tools that improve the completeness and accuracy of our supplier data, while allowing us to gather information identifying potential associated risks. For new and existing suppliers, we leverage these tools to build new processes and procedures to continuously monitor key risk indicators, collect specific data and certifications to better understand ESG characteristics and performance, and leverage ESG characteristics to inform purchasing decisions. All new suppliers must come through our portal and positively attest to our Supplier Code of Conduct, which we last revised in 2025 with the ethical and ESG standards important to Charles River and that we expect from any individual or business entity providing services or products to our Company.