Research collaboration aims to strengthen the science used to assess whether new medicines could be abused, supporting safer drug development and more informed regulatory decisions
BURLINGTON, N.C., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, today announced a collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Charles River Laboratories to advance the science used to evaluate a medicine's abuse potential, or the likelihood that it could be abused. The research aims to support safer drug development and more informed regulatory decisions.
The collaboration brings together complementary expertise from industry and government. Labcorp will contribute its experience conducting regulatory abuse potential studies, while FDA scientists will conduct data analysis and contribute regulatory science expertise. Together, the organizations aim to advance the science used to evaluate the risk that a medicine could be abused using harmonized behavioral economics methodology to quantify and rank abuse potential.
"This research has the potential to improve how abuse-related risks are evaluated and inform decisions throughout drug development and regulatory review," said Brian Caveney, M.D., EVP and president, biopharma laboratory services and chief medical and scientific officer, Labcorp. "Ultimately, this work can support safer therapies, stronger regulatory decision-making and improved protections for patients and communities."
Understanding how medicines and emerging substances may be used outside controlled settings is critical to protecting public health and informing regulatory decision-making. The collaboration aims to advance the science used to assess abuse-related risks and generate evidence that may help improve the prediction of real-world use patterns.
Labcorp has supported abuse potential evaluation studies since 2009, helping sponsors generate evidence used to inform scheduling, labeling and other regulatory decisions. The company's expertise is complemented by advanced toxicology capabilities that help identify and monitor illicit substances and emerging synthetic drugs, providing insights into evolving drug-use trends and emerging public health threats.
Together, these capabilities help researchers understand evolving drug-use trends, identify emerging threats and generate evidence that supports public health and regulatory decision-making.
For more information about Labcorp's abuse potential evaluation services, visit: https://www.labcorp.com/biopharma/nonclinical/therapeutics/abuse-liability.
About Labcorp?
Labcorp (NYSE: LH) is a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services that helps doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers and patients make clear and confident decisions. We provide insights and advance science to improve health and improve lives through our unparalleled diagnostics and drug development laboratory capabilities. The company's nearly 71,000 employees serve clients in approximately 100 countries, provided support for more than 85% of the new drugs and therapeutic products approved by the FDA in 2025 and performed more than 750 million tests for patients around the world. Learn more at www.labcorp.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the benefits of the collaborative study of the potential abuse of medicines.
Each of the forward-looking statements is subject to change based on various important factors, many of which are beyond the company's control. These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect the company's ability to implement the company's business strategy, and actual results could differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of the forward-looking statements.
The company has no obligation to provide any updates to these forward-looking statements even if its expectations change. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Further information on potential factors, risks and uncertainties that could affect operating and financial results is included in the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading RISK FACTORS and in the company's other filings with the SEC. The information in this press release should be read in conjunction with a review of the company's filings with the SEC including the information in the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading "MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS."
SOURCE Labcorp
