What MB Research Laboratories does

MB Research Laboratories is a US-based contract research organization (CRO) founded in 1972 and headquartered in Spinnerstown, Pennsylvania (Greater Philadelphia Area). The company provides GLP-compliant toxicology testing services across in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and in chemico methodologies aligned with OECD Test Guidelines, EPA OCSPP standards, FDA regulations, and ISO 10993. Its portfolio spans five regulatory-grade service areas: eye and skin safety testing (BCOP, EpiOcular, HET-CAM, PorCORA, Irritection, Corrositex), biocompatibility testing for medical devices (cytotoxicity, sensitization, irritation per ISO 10993), the acute toxicity six-pack, skin sensitization testing (DPRA, KeratinoSens, h-CLAT, LLNA, Buehler, GPMT), and general regulatory toxicology testing. The firm also deploys proprietary assays developed in-house, notably PorCORA (ex vivo porcine cornea reversibility assay) and IVSA (IL-18 reconstructed human epithelium sensitization assay), and operates a Human 3D Tissue Models program using commercial RhE/RhCE constructs.

The company serves five core end markets — pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics and personal care, consumer products, and industrial chemicals — providing regulatory-ready safety data packages accepted by FDA, EMA, EPA, ECHA, and other global authorities. Revenue is generated exclusively through project-based professional services contracts (per-study unit pricing with parallel-article discounts), priced from approximately $1,500 for acute eye irritation studies to $17,400 for full GPMT sensitization protocols, with audited final reports typically delivered within 3-4 weeks. Go-to-market is direct B2B sales engagement via website quote requests, phone, and email, with dedicated Study Directors managing each project lifecycle; there are no e-commerce or self-serve channels. The company has been a leader in alternative and in vitro toxicology methods since 1989 and sponsors the IVAM MB Research Award at the SOT Annual Meeting since 2010.

MB Research is a privately held, independent corporation with 11-50 employees and no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, external funding rounds, or named customers. Ownership appears to remain with founders or private investors; the company has operated under the same name since incorporation. Its primary technical differentiators are dual GLP compliance (FDA 21 CFR Part 58 and OECD GLP), 50+ years of regulatory testing reputation, proprietary NAMs methodologies, and full-service coverage of both in vitro alternatives and traditional in vivo assays — a position aligned with accelerating regulatory and ethical demand for non-animal testing methods.

Name

MB Research Laboratories

Legal name

MB Research Laboratories

Website

https://mbresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MB Research Laboratories is a privately held US contract research organization founded in 1972, providing GLP-compliant in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo toxicology testing services to pharmaceutical, medical device, cosmetics, consumer products, and industrial chemical clients for global regulatory submissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Toxicology Testing Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Toxicology & Safety Assessment CROs (GLP) (HLAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Strategy & Global Submissions (IND/CTA/NDA/BLA/MAA) (HLAGAKAA), Quality Engineering & Risk Management (ICH Q9/Q10, validation, change control) (HLAGAKAL), Analytical Development & QC Testing (Release/Stability/Potency) (HLAGAGAF)

Keywords

• GLP toxicology testing
• Contract research organization
• Biocompatibility testing services
• In vitro safety testing
• Regulatory safety assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Spinnerstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Services (CRO) - GLP Toxicology Testing: MB Research generates revenue through project-based professional services contracts for GLP-compliant toxicology testing. Clients engage the company on a per-study basis to conduct specific assays (e.g., Ames Test, BCOP, h-CLAT, etc.) for regulatory safety assessments. Pricing is per test article or per study, with discounts available for multiple test articles run in parallel under one project number. The revenue model is entirely non-recurring/project-based, dependent on client R&D pipelines and regulatory testing needs across pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, consumer products, and industrial chemicals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MB Research Laboratories is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing GLP-compliant toxicology and safety assessment testing services on a per-study basis. The company executes in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and in chemico assays covering eye and skin safety (BCOP, EpiOcular, HET-CAM, PorCORA), biocompatibility per ISO 10993, acute toxicity, genotoxicity (Ames Test), and skin sensitization (OECD 442 NAMs and traditional LLNA/Buehler/GPMT) for pharmaceutical, medical device, cosmetics, consumer product, and industrial chemical manufacturers seeking regulatory-ready safety data.

Product overview

MB Research Laboratories is a contract research organization (CRO) offering a comprehensive portfolio of GLP-compliant toxicology and safety assessment services. The company provides both in vitro non-animal testing methods and traditional in vivo assays across five core service areas: Eye & Skin Safety Testing (including BCOP, EpiOcular, HET-CAM, PorCORA, and Irritection assays), Biocompatibility Testing (covering cytotoxicity, sensitization, and irritation per ISO 10993), Acute Toxicity Six-Pack testing, Regulatory Toxicology Testing, and Skin Sensitization Testing (including h-CLAT, KeratinoSens, DPRA, LLNA, Buehler, and GPMT methods). The portfolio also includes specialized services such as the Ames Test for genotoxicity and Human 3D Tissue Models for various toxicity endpoints. The company operates across five industries: Cosmetics, Consumer Products, Medical Devices, Industrial Chemicals, and Pharmaceuticals, with a focus on non-animal alternative methods aligned with OECD and EPA guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regulatory Toxicology Testing GLP-compliant safety studies supporting global regulatory submissions per OECD, EPA, ISO, and DOT standards for chemicals, drugs, devices, and consumer products.
• Eye & Skin Safety Testing In vitro and alternative eye irritation, dermal irritation, and corrosion testing using validated OECD methods (OECD TG 437, 492, 439, 431).
• Biocompatibility Testing ISO 10993-compliant testing including cytotoxicity, irritation, and sensitization studies supporting medical device biocompatibility evaluations for 510(k) and PMA submissions.
• Acute Toxicity Six-Pack Integrated acute toxicity testing supporting hazard classification and regulatory safety assessments under OECD TG 420, 423, 425, 402, 403.
• Skin Sensitization Testing In vitro and in vivo testing approaches for evaluating allergic contact dermatitis potential, including OECD TG 442 methods (DPRA, KeratinoSens, h-CLAT, LLNA, Buehler, GPMT).
• Cytotoxicity Testing Rapid screening for potential toxicity including MTT, XTT, Neutral Red Uptake, and direct/indirect contact methods under ISO 10993-5.
• Ames Test (OECD TG 471) Bacterial Reverse Mutation Test for detecting mutagenic potential of chemical substances using Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli strains.
• Human 3D Tissue Models Testing Advanced human 3D tissue model testing services for skin, ocular, and mucosal toxicity assessments including EpiDerm, EpiOcular, EpiOral, EpiVaginal, EpiAirway, and EpiIntestinal models.
• BCOP Test (Bovine Corneal Opacity & Permeability) Alternative ocular irritancy testing using excised bovine corneas to assess corneal opacity and permeability under OECD TG 437.
• PorCORA (Porcine Cornea Opacity/Reversibility Assay) Proprietary ex vivo alternative assay developed by MB Research using isolated porcine corneas to evaluate corneal damage and reversibility up to 21 days post-exposure; fills a gap left by existing validated ocular alternative methods.
• HET-CAM (Hen's Egg Test on Chorioallantoic Membrane) Alternative eye irritation testing using the vascularized chorioallantoic membrane of fertilized chicken eggs as a biological model for mucous membranes; calculates an Irritation Score over a 5-minute observation.
• Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) In vivo sensitization testing measuring lymphocyte proliferation in auricular lymph nodes using BrdU incorporation under OECD TG 442B.
• Custom Services Tailored toxicological studies and testing services including non-GLP and GLP studies, customized time points, flow cytometry, and ELISA analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• PorCORA validation: 88% correct prediction of reversibility, 91% correct prediction of EU R41, 91% correct prediction of GHS Category 1, 88% correct prediction of EPA Category I, with 0.84 correlation to ECETOC historical Draize database
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Global full-service CRO offering a broad toxicology and safety assessment portfolio including in vitro, in vivo, and genetic toxicology. Direct overlap with MB Research in GLP toxicology services but operates at far greater scale and offers preclinical, clinical, and manufacturing services MB Research does not.
• Labcorp Drug Development (Covance): Large CRO providing toxicology, safety assessment, and bioanalytical services through its Early Development portfolio. Competes with MB Research for GLP toxicology studies while offering integrated clinical and central lab capabilities MB Research does not.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global testing services network with strong presence in GLP toxicology, product safety, and regulatory testing across chemicals, cosmetics, and consumer products. Competes on the industrial chemicals and cosmetics testing side where MB Research also operates.
• BioReliance (MilliporeSigma): MilliporeSigma's biopharma testing services arm offering biosafety, genetic toxicology, and product safety testing. Competes with MB Research on Ames testing, genetic toxicology, and biologics safety assessment with greater scale and parent-company resources.
• WuXi AppTec: Global CRO/CDMO with extensive preclinical toxicology services for pharmaceutical and chemical clients. Competes with MB Research for GLP toxicology contracts, particularly from larger pharma sponsors seeking global capacity.
• SGS Société Générale de Surveillance: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with a Life Sciences division offering GLP toxicology and product safety testing. Competes with MB Research on cosmetics, consumer products, and industrial chemicals safety testing.

Direct peers

• Inotiv: Pure-play preclinical CRO specializing in toxicology, safety assessment, and research models for pharma and medical device clients. Most directly comparable mid-sized competitor to MB Research in GLP toxicology testing scope and customer profile.

Emerging players

• IIVS (Institute for In Vitro Sciences): Non-profit organization focused exclusively on in vitro and alternative toxicology methods, training and contract testing. Closest peer to MB Research's alternative methods focus but operates as non-profit with different business model.
• Cyprotex (Evotec): Specialty CRO offering in vitro ADME and predictive toxicology services including skin sensitization NAMs and genotoxicity. Direct competitor in OECD 442 skin sensitization and in vitro toxicology where MB Research also operates.

Others

• MatTek Corporation: Manufacturer of the EpiDerm, EpiOcular, and other 3D reconstructed human tissue models that MB Research uses in its irritation and corrosion assays. Not a direct competitor but tightly coupled as a critical upstream supplier in MB Research's service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mb-research-laboratories
• Xx.com/mbresearch

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MB Research Laboratories