Sinclair Research Center

Sinclair Research Center (Sinclair) is a biomedical research facility located in new facilities near Columbia, Missouri, offering the full range of preclinical (nonclinical) research services to the animal and human health industries. From discovery to IND/INAD submission and beyond, Sinclair divisions can conduct all phases of nonclinical programs, including DMPK, surgical service, device and test article efficacy assessment, safety pharmacology, general toxicology, and specialized toxicology.

Originally located on 543 acres in Columbia, Missouri, Sinclair was formed in 1965 by the University of Missouri (UMC) and originally named the Sinclair Comparative Medical Research Farm (SCMRF). Its primary function was to provide laboratory animal research support for the University's Environmental Health Surveillance Center (EHSC) and the Environmental Trace Substance Research Center (ETSRC). These three entities collaborated to monitor for epidemiological evidences of environmental related illnesses (EHSC), samples were analyzed to detect trace amounts of substances which could be related to illnesses (ETSRC), and laboratory animal models were used to test the hypotheses (SCMRF). This concept was remarkably farsighted and it remains valid today.

Through the years, Sinclair's role expanded and became a resource for a wide variety of animal and human health related research and became deeply involved in the development and use of animal models. Its original financial support was primarily from the University of Missouri and research grant funds that it attracted. The private sector quickly realized the unique resource of Sinclair and became the main source of funding support during the early 1990's. Concurrently with the declining funding from the University, dedicated professionals privatized Sinclair on March 1, 1994 as a successful contract research organization (CRO) and animal production facility.

Sinclair continues its mission of providing high quality research and producing purpose bred animals. Since privatization, constant upgrading of personnel, facilities and equipment have resulted in an efficient, competitive, GLP-compliant research center which maintains AAALAC accreditation, first obtained the year after privatization. Sinclair has also contributed to the development of several animal models and acquired a domestic short hair-cat colony and several new herds of miniature swine including the Charles River miniature swine colonies.

To accommodate the growth of Sinclair and to improve the quality of the research and production facilities, Sinclair purchased 200-acres near Columbia and built a state-of-the-art research and animal production complex that has more than twice the capacity of the original UMC site. Sinclair moved operations to the new facilities in the fall of 2004 and continues to grow. Facilities now include more than 250,000 sq ft of buildings on 433 acres. Sinclair also operates the Maine Yucatan Miniature Swine production facility acquired from Charles River Laboratories, and has instituted improvements and expansions in that facility as well.

Sinclair is committed to efficiency, confidentiality and rapid, accurate service. Our desire is to work closely with our clients to achieve long-term mutually beneficial relationships.

Preclinical (Nonclinical) Research Service Offerings

Sinclair offers a variety of preclinical (nonclinical) research services to the human pharmaceutical and medical device, animal health, and consumer product industries. Programs include efficacy/pharmacodynamics, DMPK, toxicology, and surgical services. All standard routes of administration are offered. We can support drug and device research from discovery through initial regulatory submission. We understand that our clients’ study needs sometimes don’t fit into standard study designs. We encourage you to contact us to discuss unique study programs to accomplish your product development objectives.

Research Staff

Sinclair has a friendly, experienced, and motivated veterinary and research staff who provide you with quality study execution, excellent communication, and timely reporting. Experienced study directors and principal investigators, assisted by support staff, manage studies vertically, maintaining full control over your study. Complementing the research personnel are competent veterinary staff members who participate in the study conducting procedures, collecting samples, and maintaining animal health. Qualified laboratory animal personnel provide husbandry and care for the animals. A full training program is in place at Sinclair and all personnel have current training records.

Regulatory Compliance and Quality Assurance

Sinclair complies with a number of agencies. We are USDA licensed as a breeder (43-A-2499) and research facility (43-R-0109). We are AAALAC accredited and have maintained this accreditation since 1995. The animal care and veterinary program is in compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Sinclair also has an Assurance Statement filed with PHS.
Sinclair is fully GLP compliant and our personnel have many years of GLP experience. Sinclair has an independent Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) that audits the facility, protocols, in-life critical phases, raw data, and reports for GLP studies. Sinclair is inspected by the FDA on an ongoing basis. Inspections in the spring of 2002, spring of 2004, and late fall of 2005 were all classified as NAI (no objectionable conditions or practices were found during the inspection), and no 483s were issued.

Alliance Partner Services

Sinclair collaborates with several centers of expertise which provide complementary services to the research program, such as bioanalytical, and histopathology. Furthermore, Sinclair's clients have access to a large number of well known expert consultants due to Sinclair's advantageous location near the University of Missouri-Columbia's College of Veterinary Medicine, Health Center and Teaching Hospital, and the Ellis Fischel Cancer Hospital.