Charlesson
EyeCRO is a preclinical contract research organization providing integrated ophthalmic drug development services—including in-life efficacy studies, bioanalytical analysis, and the proprietary MiDROPS® eyedrop formulation technology—to pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors developing eye disease therapeutics.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersOklahoma City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Charlesson does
EyeCRO is a preclinical contract research organization (CRO) specializing in ophthalmic drug development for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors. The company provides a fully integrated platform covering in-life efficacy studies, bioanalytical analysis, toxicology/PK studies, dosing and drug delivery, histology and pathology, and ophthalmic imaging and physiology across mouse, rat, and rabbit models. Its two AAALAC International-accredited facilities—headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK with a secondary site in Ann Arbor, MI—house both the vivarium and the bioanalytical laboratory, enabling sponsors to move from dosing to quantification under a single study plan with one point of contact.
EyeCRO's core technology platform is built on two pillars: an integrated CRO workflow that eliminates cross-vendor sample handoffs, and the proprietary MiDROPS® microemulsion drug ocular penetration system. MiDROPS® uses thermodynamically stable, self-assembling microemulsions to formulate high concentrations of lipophilic small molecules for anterior and posterior segment delivery via eyedrops, and is protected by broad US and international patents covering millions of formulations. The company maintains over 20 validated preclinical disease models spanning anterior segment, inflammation/autoimmune, outer retinal degeneration, inner retinal degeneration, and retinal vascular indications.
The business model is fee-for-service professional services (project-based preclinical research contracts) supplemented by MiDROPS® licensing/royalty revenue. Go-to-market is enterprise B2B, executed through direct outreach, ARVO conference presence, and scientific publication visibility. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured as project-specific quotes. The company is privately held with no disclosed ownership, funding, or revenue figures, and is currently operating with active news publishing and conference participation through May 2026.
Charlesson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charlesson
- Legal name
- EyeCRO
- Website
- https://charlessonllc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- EyeCRO is a preclinical contract research organization providing integrated ophthalmic drug development services—including in-life efficacy studies, bioanalytical analysis, and the proprietary MiDROPS® eyedrop formulation technology—to pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors developing eye disease therapeutics.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charlesson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Preclinical Contract Research Services
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ocular Drug Delivery Devices (Eye Droppers/Inserts) (HLAHAIAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN)
Keywords
Where Charlesson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oklahoma City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Charlesson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Research Services: EyeCRO provides fee-for-service preclinical ophthalmic research contracts, including in-life efficacy studies, bioanalytical services, toxicology/PK studies, and formulation development. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors.
- MiDROPS® Licensing: The company offers its MiDROPS® microemulsion technology for eyedrop formulations, protected by broad patents issued in the US and worldwide. Licensing revenue from the formulation library.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Charlesson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EyeCRO provides a fully integrated platform for preclinical ophthalmic drug development, delivering in-life efficacy studies, bioanalytical analysis, toxicology/PK studies, and eyedrop formulations under one roof. The company supports pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors with multi-route drug administration, ophthalmic imaging, histology, and 22 validated preclinical disease models, complemented by its proprietary MiDROPS® microemulsion formulation technology for ocular drug delivery.
Product overview
EyeCRO operates as a fully integrated preclinical ophthalmic research platform offering comprehensive drug development services from in-life efficacy studies through bioanalytical quantitation. The core offering combines EyeCRO's research services with MiDROPS®, a proprietary microemulsion drug delivery technology for ophthalmic formulations. Supporting service modules include bioanalytical services (LC-MS/MS, HPLC, ELISA), dosing and drug delivery, histology and pathology, ophthalmic imaging and physiology, and proprietary software and analysis. The company maintains 22 validated preclinical disease models spanning anterior segment, inflammation/autoimmune, outer retinal degeneration, inner retinal degeneration, and retinal vascular conditions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MiDROPS®: Microemulsion Drug Ocular Penetration System - a proprietary microemulsion technology for ophthalmic drug delivery using thermodynamically stable, self-assembling vehicles that can formulate high concentrations of drugs for anterior and posterior segment delivery. The technology is protected by broad patents issued in the US and worldwide.
Products and services
- EyeCRO Preclinical Research Services Fully integrated preclinical ophthalmic drug development platform providing in-life efficacy studies, bioanalytical analysis, toxicology/PK studies, and eyedrop formulations under one roof for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors.
- MiDROPS® Microemulsion Drug Ocular Penetration System Proprietary microemulsion technology for eyedrop formulations of lipophilic small molecules, enabling delivery of high drug concentrations to both anterior and posterior eye segments; protected by broad patents issued in the US and worldwide.
- Bioanalytical Services Laboratory services including LC-MS/MS, HPLC, ELISA, and multiplex immunoassay with optimized ocular tissue extraction protocols for mouse, rat, and rabbit specimens.
- Dosing & Drug Delivery Services Drug administration services via intravitreal, subretinal, subconjunctival, topical, and systemic routes across mouse, rat, and rabbit species.
- Histology & Pathology Services Full histological processing, H&E staining, IHC, and digital image quantification for ocular tissue analysis.
- Ophthalmic Imaging & Physiology Services In vivo retinal imaging services including ERG, OCT, fundus photography, and slit-lamp biomicroscopy across multiple species.
- Preclinical Disease Models 22 validated preclinical disease models across retinal, corneal, inflammatory, and optic nerve disease areas including Dry Eye Disease, Geographic Atrophy, Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Vein Occlusion, and others.
Quantifiable outcome
- Studies move from dosing to quantification without delays, sample degradation risks, or coordination across vendors
Companies that use Charlesson
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Charlesson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Charlesson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Marseille DeclarationminorEyeCRO is a signatory to the Marseille Declaration, a commitment to ethical business practices and transparency in preclinical research operations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Charlesson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sinclair Research: Sinclair Research is a preclinical CRO with ophthalmic capabilities, AAALAC-accredited facilities, and species expertise (mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, non-human primate). Directly comparable to EyeCRO for in-life preclinical ophthalmic efficacy studies.
- Absorption Systems: Absorption Systems is a preclinical CRO offering bioanalytical, ADME, and drug delivery services with ophthalmic capabilities. Comparable to EyeCRO for bioanalytical and ocular drug delivery work, with a broader overall ADME portfolio.
- IONTOX: IONTOX specializes in ocular toxicology, in vitro and ex vivo ocular assays, and preclinical ophthalmic safety assessment. Comparable to EyeCRO's preclinical ocular toxicology/PK service modules, though focused more narrowly on safety.
- Ora (formerly ORA Clinical Research): Ora is a leading ophthalmic-specialty CRO offering preclinical and clinical research services. It is the closest direct peer to EyeCRO — both target ophthalmic drug development sponsors and compete for similar preclinical ophthalmic contracts, though Ora has a much larger clinical-stage footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance): Labcorp Drug Development is a top global CRO offering preclinical and clinical services with ophthalmic drug development capabilities. A broad incumbent that competes with EyeCRO at the high end of ophthalmic sponsor engagements.
- WuXi AppTec: WuXi AppTec offers preclinical CRO services with ophthalmic capabilities and is one of the largest preclinical research platforms globally. Competes for ophthalmic preclinical contracts from sponsors seeking scale, geographic reach, and integrated chemistry-biology capabilities.
- Pharmaron: Pharmaron is a global CRO/CDMO with preclinical research capabilities across multiple therapeutic areas including ophthalmology. Provides scale, geographic reach, and integrated chemistry/manufacturing capabilities that small specialist CROs cannot match.
- Charles River Laboratories: Charles River is one of the largest global preclinical CROs with broad ophthalmic research capabilities across multiple species and indications. Competes with EyeCRO for larger sponsor preclinical ophthalmic contracts but offers many additional therapeutic-area capabilities.
- Frontage Laboratories: Frontage Laboratories is a CRO providing preclinical and bioanalytical services across multiple therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology following its Absorption Systems acquisition. Competes with EyeCRO for integrated preclinical ophthalmic contracts.
Regional players
- Bioneeds India: Bioneeds is a preclinical CRO based in India offering ophthalmic efficacy/toxicology services at cost-advantaged pricing. A regional competitor that pressures US-based preclinical CRO economics, particularly for cost-sensitive biotech sponsors.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Charlesson social profiles
Digital presenceCharlesson compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Charlesson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charlesson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Charlesson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charlesson M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Charlesson
What does Charlesson do?
EyeCRO provides a fully integrated platform for preclinical ophthalmic drug development, delivering in-life efficacy studies, bioanalytical analysis, toxicology/PK studies, and eyedrop formulations under one roof. The company supports pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors with multi-route drug administration, ophthalmic imaging, histology, and 22 validated preclinical disease models, complemented by its proprietary MiDROPS® microemulsion formulation technology for ocular drug delivery.
Is Charlesson a public or private company?
Charlesson is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Charlesson founded?
Charlesson was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Charlesson based?
Charlesson is headquartered in Oklahoma City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Charlesson make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Contract Research Services are the primary driver. The others are miDROPS® Licensing.
Who are Charlesson's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sinclair Research, Absorption Systems, IONTOX and Ora (formerly ORA Clinical Research). Broad incumbents are Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance), WuXi AppTec, Pharmaron, Charles River Laboratories and Frontage Laboratories. Bioneeds India is listed as a regional player.
Does Charlesson have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charlesson.
What industry is Charlesson in?
Charlesson's product category is Preclinical Contract Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAIAL, Ocular Drug Delivery Devices (Eye Droppers/Inserts), with a secondary code of HLAKAKAN, Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers. Its SIC code is 8731.