July 22,
2010
Dear
Shareholder:
According
to our latest records, we have not yet received your proxy for the important
special meeting of shareholders of Charles River Laboratories International,
Inc. on August 5, 2010. The Charles River board of directors unanimously
recommends that you vote FOR the issuance of Charles River common stock in
connection with the transaction to acquire WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman)
Inc.
We are confident that our proposed
combination with WuXi will create not only the world's premier early-stage
contract research organization (CRO), but also significant additional
shareholder value. This transaction will create the first
fully integrated global early-stage CRO, uniquely positioned to address our
pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients' rapidly changing needs and desire for
a broader range of global outsourced solutions. Combining Charles River and WuXi
will provide a more efficient and cost-effective integrated platform of
essential products and services -- from molecule creation to first-in-human
testing -- on a global basis. You may be interested to know that even
at this early stage, in meeting with our respective existing clients, we are
receiving overwhelming support. For example:
|
|
·
|
From a senior vice president
and head of worldwide research of a top-five global pharmaceutical
company, "We have great respect for and work with both
organizations. When
combined with WuXi, Charles River will be able to provide a unique set of
end-to-end services which we believe will help accelerate our drug
development process. We look forward to working in a more holistic
fashion with the combined entity."
|
|
|
·
|
From the senior vice president
of research and early development of another top-five pharmaceutical
company, "Charles River-WuXi's unique early-stage portfolio of
products and services provides a transformational opportunity for the drug
development industry. The
availability of a new CRO paradigm will allow companies like us to explore
innovative strategic relationships and R&D business models which could
dramatically change the R&D productivity equation. We very much
look forward to having a company like Charles River-WuXi in the
marketplace and to working with the new
organization."
|
|
|
·
|
The executive vice president
and chief scientific officer of a first-tier biotechnology company
said, "The
combination of these two companies is the most visionary and promising
approach to drug development I've seen in this field in the last three
decades. To be able to access the power of your integrated
|
| drug discovery and early development platform offers us tremendous opportunities to speed affordable and transformational medicine to patients." |
These
remarks, typical of the many comments we have received from other clients,
validate our belief that the proposed combination will provide significant
benefits to our clients, as well as to our shareholders.
A
transaction this important cannot happen without your support! We
urge you to vote FOR today—by telephone, by Internet, or by signing, dating and
returning the enclosed proxy card in the envelope provided.
Thank you
for your cooperation.
Very
truly yours,
James C.
Foster
Chairman, Chief Executive
Officer and President
|
REMEMBER:
You
can vote your shares by telephone, or via the
Internet.
Please
follow the easy instructions on the enclosed proxy card.
If
you have any questions, or need assistance in voting
your
shares, please call our proxy solicitor,
INNISFREE
M&A INCORPORATED
TOLL-FREE,
at 1-888-750-5834.
|