From Hit to Clinic: Isogenica and Charles River Collaborate to Accelerate Next-Generation Peptide and VHH Discovery

Cambridge, UK – June 4th, 2025 – Every breakthrough begins with discovery. Isogenica, a leader in synthetic VHH antibody and peptide discovery, has announced a collaboration with Charles River, a leading, global provider of drug discovery, development, and manufacturing solutions, to help biotech companies streamline discovery and accelerate progress toward clinic-ready therapeutics.

This collaboration unites Isogenica’s synthetic discovery platforms, including its in-house peptide and VHH libraries, with Charles River’s proven expertise in drug discovery and development. Together, they offer biotech teams an efficient, integrated route from hit identification to candidate selection and beyond.

Why Synthetic? Speed, Control, Scalability

Synthetic discovery platforms offer critical advantages over traditional immune-based methods: greater speed, control over molecular diversity, and scalability. These benefits enable faster iteration cycles, reduced dependence on animal immunization, and the ability to explore broader target spaces, including difficult or ‘undruggable’ targets.

Why Isogenica?

Among synthetic VHH antibody platforms, diversity is critical. Isogenica’s proprietary VHH libraries – LlamdA® (~10¹³), huLlamdA® (~10¹²), and VHHantage® (~10¹⁰) – are among the largest and most diverse synthetic VHH libraries available.

This expansive diversity enhances the probability of identifying high-affinity binders, even against challenging targets. Combined with Isogenica’s deep scientific expertise and custom-tailored discovery services, these libraries deliver highly specific, IP-ready candidates designed to de-risk early development.

Reinvigorating a Proven Platform

Although Isogenica’s current focus is on synthetic VHHs, its CIS Display™ technology was originally developed for peptide discovery. This validated platform still supports a diverse array of peptide formats, from constrained loops to linear libraries, and remains available for new and custom campaigns.

“Many of our team started in this business because they want to make a difference in healthcare. This is why we’re excited by the opportunity to partner with Charles River– to bring our molecules to patients faster.” said Marion Cubitt, Chief Operating Officer at Isogenica. “Many of our customers are already mapping out their preclinical journey and looking for support. This collaboration represents Discovery 2.0 – bringing together our legacy expertise with Charles River end-to-end discovery and development services, creating a powerful platform for companies who want to reach IND faster.”

Learn more about Charles River’s range of services here

Meeting Discovery Challenges Head-On

Biopharma companies often face obstacles that slow down the development of VHH and peptide therapeutics:

• Fragmented workflows increase complexity and drive up costs
• Inefficiencies in early-stage discovery delay lead optimization
• Uncertainties around translating hits into clinical success limit investor and partner confidence

The Isogenica–Charles River collaboration directly addresses these issues, providing a cohesive and scalable discovery engine underpinned by integrated project management and a focus on long-term program goals.

A Next-Generation Platform for Discovery

Together, Isogenica and Charles River offer a next-generation platform built around four key pillars:

• Accelerated workflows – Isogenica’s CIS Display™ technology rapidly identifies hits, while Charles River’s expertise ensures seamless progression from discovery to lead optimization and development.
• Expanded discovery capabilities – Together, the partnership unlocks new possibilities for target engagement and molecular diversity through Isogenica’s ultra-diverse libraries. This allows biotech companies to tackle previously undruggable targets and expand therapeutic options.
• Integrated project delivery – By removing the inefficiencies that come with working across multiple service providers, this partnership offers an end-to-end solution that streamlines every stage of discovery, from early screening to GLP preclinical development.
• Scalability and validation for clinical success – Charles River’s robust discovery and development services provide critical validation, ensuring that discoveries made through Isogenica’s platform are scalable and ready for transition into clinical development.

“VHH single domain antibodies and peptides are important molecules, including as therapeutics, targeting and drug delivery systems and diagnostics.” said Justin Bryans, Chief Scientific Officer (Discovery) at Charles River. “Bringing together Isogenica’s state of the art VHH and peptide discovery platforms with Charles River’s expertise in drug discovery and early development enables us to offer end-to-end capabilities in these areas to help our partners deliver patient impact”

Interested in learning how this collaboration could transform your drug discovery pipeline?

Stop by Charles River’s booth at AET Europe 2025 to learn more about the partnership and kickstart your discovery conversation.

Not at the meeting? Check out our peptide and collaborative VHH discovery pages, or get in touch today at https://isogenica.com/contact-us/