Tag: Charles River Laboratories

Scotland Against Modern Slavery

Three major organisations join forces in the fight against modern slavery


Two of the biggest names in the Scottish energy sector and a global life sciences business have joined the Scotland Against Modern Slavery movement.

SSE plc, one of the UK’s leading low-carbon energy company, Wood, a global leader in consulting and engineering, and Charles River Laboratories, the drug discovery and development experts, have signed up to the movement to work alongside existing members of the group as part of a cross-industry collaboration, to help stop the misery caused by labour exploitation. 

Scotland Against Modern Slavery (SAMS) has brought together the Scottish Government with over 56 businesses, charities, and NGOs, with the core aims of raising awareness of the problem, supporting survivors into positive employment opportunities and protecting vulnerable communities from exploitation.  

Over 600 men, women and children were identified as potential victims of human trafficking in Scotland last year – the highest number since records began.

The Scottish Government funds Migrant Help and the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) to provide crisis support and assistance to potential victims identified in Scotland. It is vital that we all do our part to understand the indicators of human trafficking and exploitation.

All areas of Scotland have reported cases of human trafficking – anyone can be susceptible, and it is happening in our towns, cities and rural communities.

Siobhian Brown MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, said: “Human trafficking and exploitation is abhorrent and illegal and action is needed across all sectors to end it.

“I am pleased to see more Scottish companies joining the fight against human trafficking and being clear that they are united with us in preventing the exploitation of people.”

Shan Saba, founder of SAMS, said, “We have supported over 19 survivors into work in recent years, each one suffering from the trauma of being exploited here on our doorstep. By the business community working together, we can share best practice and help stamp out this misery in our society.”

SSE develops and maintains electricity assets such as onshore and offshore wind, hydro power, electricity transmission and distribution grids, and efficient gas-fired generation, alongside providing energy products and services for businesses. The company employs around 10,000 people and is Real Living Wage and Fair Tax Mark accredited.

Rachel McEwen, Chief Sustainability Officer at SSE, said, “SSE has zero tolerance of human rights abuses and modern slavery in all its forms and has a responsibility to understand the risks within its own business and supply chain and to reduce those risks.

“We are always keen to hear from and learn from others to protect vulnerable people and communities from exploitation wherever that may be.”

Wood is helping unlock solutions to critical challenges in energy and materials markets, employing around 35,000 people across 60 countries. Committed to making the world a better place, Wood is comprised of remarkable people, who are trusted by clients to design, build and advance the world.

Linzie Forrester, President of Sustainability at Wood, said: “At Wood, we are delivering the changes that world needs most, making sustainability real for our clients and ourselves.

“Everything we do is with an unwavering commitment to what we believe in and how we behave – with care and courage. We are driven to deliver solutions that transform the world into a clean, safe, ethical and equitable environment, and our work with SAMS will help make those ambitions possible.”

Charles River is a biotech research company, working in all the key areas of drug development – Basic research, discovery, safety and efficacy, clinical support, and manufacturing. They have worked on more than 80% of the FDA-approved drugs over the last 5 years. Charles River Edinburgh is Real Living Wage and Top Employer UK 2023 accredited.

Geoff Burns, Charles River Edinburgh’s General Manager, said: “Charles River is committed to operating its global business ethically and with integrity in accordance with all applicable laws, directives, regulations and codes to prevent the abuse of human rights and to prevent human trafficking and modern slavery.

“Charles River Edinburgh is pleased to be able to work with and learn from SAMS to help us continue to live our values of Care, Lead, Own and Collaborate. We have a zero-tolerance approach towards abuse and exploitation.”

For more information, please visit www.scotlandagainstmodernslavery.co.uk

Bridging Scotland’s skills gap in Advanced Therapies

University works with Charles River Laboratories to develop short course

A new course launches at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Applied Sciences on 24 January, offering students and recent graduates an opportunity to build key skills for a career in the expanding field of Advanced Therapies.

The five-day course has been developed by Edinburgh Napier, working closely with Charles River Laboratories.

It forms part of the UK’s Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN) and will teach Good Laboratory Practice – supplying participants with theoretical knowledge, including sterile manufacturing and the development and production of Advanced Therapies – and practical skills needed to enter the Advanced Therapies workforce.

These include cell culture and immunoassay techniques, and lab auditing, as well as learning about the quality and regulatory environment and Good Manufacturing Practice within an industrial setting.

ATSTN was launched in 2020 and operates through three centres, two in England and one in Scotland.

Edinburgh Napier is the only university in Scotland to be a member of ATSTN, and the School of Applied Sciences partners with RoslinCT, SULSA (the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance), the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, and Ayrshire College to deliver bespoke and highly targeted training to address the skills gaps identified in advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing.

Dr Claire Garden, Associate Professor in the School of Applied Sciences, said: “Advanced Therapies offer enormous potential and promise to protect our society from current and future diseases, but when the UK government conducted research with companies in 2019, 83% were concerned about their ability to capitalise on emerging opportunities because skills anticipated to be essential were – at that time – missing.

“With our industry skills focus and partnership with key employers, recognised in our recent reaccreditation by the Royal Society of Biology, we have the track record to bring this training to a wide audience.”

Geoff Burns, General Manager of Charles River Edinburgh, is delighted to be working on this targeted project. He said: “Charles River are very pleased to be partnering with Edinburgh Napier University to provide an Advanced Therapy skills training course as part of the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network.

“We are dedicated to supporting students both during and after their time at university, and this course will help ensure the scientists of the future are well-equipped for a career in the emerging industries of advanced therapies and vaccine manufacturing.

“There is no doubt that many exciting breakthroughs are to be had in the future for the long-term management and even cure of disease.”

Nathan Barnett, programme coordinator at SULSA, added: “This course is an exciting addition to the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network in Scotland. It will give industry insight into some of the careers available in the fast-growing advanced therapies sector and provide practical skills relevant to roles in the industry.”

The bespoke course is being launched at a vital moment for the Scottish Life Sciences Industry and provides a brilliant opportunity for students and recent graduates interested in a career in Advanced Therapies.

It runs from 24-29 January at Edinburgh Napier University’s Sighthill campus and at Charles River Laboratories’ state-of-the-art facilities. The course will run twice more in 2022.

To enquire about participating, contact nathan.barnett@glasgow.ac.uk.

Home Office imposes sanctions on Edinburgh lab

The Home Office has formally inspected Charles River Laboratories and sanctioned it for violating animal welfare regulations. The action follows a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PETA uncovered shocking allegations regarding the extreme suffering and death of rats at the company’s Elphinstone location, near Edinburgh, after being approached by a whistle-blower who worked there.

Because of the severity of the incidents reported, PETA is urging the Home Office to revoke Charles Rivers Laboratories’ licence to experiment on animals.

According to the whistle-blower, the company reportedly crushed approximately 100 to 120 live rats – including pregnant females – in a rubbish compressor and administered the wrong dose of a compound to rats who were used in a cancer experiment.

It allegedly forced other rats to inhale a highly toxic compound in doses that exceeded the agreed maximum – and consequently, one distressed female chewed off an entire toe. More information about the reported welfare violations can be found here.

“Charles River Laboratories apparently can’t be trusted to follow the minimal laws that protect animals in laboratories, and the punishment should fit the crime,” says PETA Science Policy Adviser Dr Julia Baines.

“PETA is calling for the Home Office to revoke the company’s licence to inflict pain, misery, and death on animals immediately and for money to be invested in a new wave of science – one that’s effective, human-relevant, and animal-free.”

The Home Office confirmed that inspections have taken place and that ‘appropriate sanctions’ have been applied.

Charles River Laboratories responded: “The survival rates for major diseases are at an all-time high due in part to the discovery of new medicines and therapies. The use of animal research models remains a vital component of these discoveries and is required by international regulatory agencies.

“We are deeply committed to animal welfare and exceeding international standards for the care of research models under our stewardship. We are committed to the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) and, when possible, our goal is to reduce the number of animals used.”

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on” – notes that across the UK, millions of animals are locked inside barren laboratory cages, poisoned, burned, cut open, traumatised, and infected with diseases while they suffer from extreme frustration and loneliness.

Few experiments – no matter how painful or irrelevant – are prohibited by law, and almost all animals used in tests are later killed.

PETA supports the use of scientifically and ethically sound methods that better protect humans, animals, and the environment. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.