Frontage Laboratories
The Global Drug Investigation and Development Partner

Over the past few years, the pharma industry has been striving to restructure its research and development activities due to constant pressure from patent expiry, generic competition, and declining revenues. To this end, Contract research organizations (CROs) promise a feasible way forward by offering critical research services. However, today, CROs are also facing several challenges pertaining to regulations and ensuring the highest quality processes. To this end, it has become essential for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to partner with a CRO that has all the right technology in place, strong scientific expertise, and determination toward quality and innovation.

Enter Frontage Laboratories.

Founded in 2001, Frontage Laboratories is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frontage Holdings Corp (1521. HK), a global CRO driven by the mission to provide integrated, sciencedriven product development services from drug discovery to the late-phase clinical process. Following the vision of the parent company, Frontage Laboratories assists biopharmaceutical companies in addressing all their drug development needs, be it drug candidate evaluation, product development, or clinical services across the U.S.

“We are a fast-growing CRO engaged in the provision of research, analytical and development services throughout the product discovery and development continuum. We provide our pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners with strong scientific expertise, outstanding quality and innovation thereby enabling the science and advancement of drug development and delivery,” says Dr. John Lin, EVP and Global Head, Bioanalytical and Biologics Services, Frontage Laboratories.

Frontage Laboratories’ comprehensive bioanalytical services include LC-MS, Biologics bioassay, genomics services, and Biomarker services, and many more.

The company has also acquired Ocean Ridge Biosciences, a genomic services provider, to expand the latter’s genomics services to a wide range of therapeutic programs. “Our vision is to become the most desired global drug investigation

and development partner to our clients to help them develop new therapies and life-saving medications. We strive to provide our employees with a healthy work environment that fosters teamwork, career development, and personal growth,” mentions Dr. Lin. More importantly, Frontage Laboratories always undertake a nimble approach, from a time perspective, while catering to clients. Clients can approach the company with any deadline, and it can ensure the timely and successful completion of the project. That’s not all! Frontage has all the right technology in place to ensure the integrity of study data including Watson LIMS, EWB, etc..

What keeps Frontage always a notch above the rest is its capability to provide global bioanalytical solutions and various bioanalytical needs under one roof. “With our comprehensive service offering, we have emerged as one of the Top-5 global bioanalytical CROs for the bioanalysis needs of small molecules, biologics/biosimilars, biomarker, and gene and cell therapies,” mentions Dr. Lin. Such a reputation and continuous focus on quality have enabled the company to work on several critical projects. For example, it has played a vital role in the development of a multiplexed LC-MS/MS PKand ADA assay for Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC). Typically,ADC integrates two modalities, toxic efficacy, and antibody specificity, which lead to an improved therapeutic window with fewer side effects. But bioanalytical requirements for PK analysis are complex—requiring a multifaceted approach—from the development of antibody assay to immunogenicity dataset. To this end, Frontage leveraged mass spectrometry-based strategies for the free drug PK and 2-in-1 multiplexing LCMS/ MS method for total antibody and conjugated ADC and a LBA assay for immunogenicity evaluation using very limited sample volume (<100uL) to lead the project from preclinical study to clinical study.

With such instances of successful projects, Frontage has drawn a strategic expansion plan based on organic and M&A growth. It is looking for further expansion in China and Europe to increase the global footprint and the growth of the existing client base. Also, it will build strategic alliances with CROs and Central labs with limited bioanalytical/biomarker capability as well as with large pharma and biotechs. “We are also undertaking several process improvement initiatives, including infrastructure upgradation and enhancement of scientific capability (Gene &Cell therapy, Vaccine, etc.),” Dr. Lin concludes.