A Journey Through 50 Years of Drug Development—Including Building Altasciences

Do you remember the first time you held a magnifying glass to a leaf, amazed at the complex network of veins? Or perhaps the moment you looked into a microscope, discovering life that was invisible to the naked eye?

Biology has a way of captivating us, drawing us into a world of wonder and discovery. Chris Perkin received a microscope as a gift on his 10th birthday and then his own laboratory (a converted small garden shed) as a present on his 13th birthday. His love for biology at an early age was the foundation for his prolific career in drug development.

Chris’s journey began as a technician working on critical smallpox vaccine production and snake antivenins. He quickly rose through the ranks, transitioning after university into his first CRO position as a study director. His experience spans decades, with notable stops in the pharmaceutical industry and a relocation to Canada from England, leading him to eventually become the CEO of Altasciences in 2010.

Chris’s vision for Altasciences was shaped by a fundamental question: why are all the pieces needed for early drug development separated—why do sponsors have to contract different CROs for different phases and services? This question ignited his mission to streamline the process by creating a comprehensive CRO/CDMO capable of seamlessly guiding drugs through all their early stages of development.

Under his leadership, Altasciences has become a pioneer in integrated early-phase drug development solutions. With a team of diverse talents and scientific capabilities, Altasciences provides a smooth transition from preclinical to first-in-human clinical studies, including in-house bioanalysis, formulation and manufacturing, and analytical services, as well as the full array of CRO support services.

Bringing together great scientific minds to assist drug sponsors in improving the lives of people worldwide is what inspires Chris. Throughout his journey, he has explored the elements of science, business, and management, all of which have aided him in the establishment of a distinct kind of CRO and CDMO.

Come along as we pursue Chris’s incredible story and the science underlying Altasciences’ success!

What motivated you to join Altasciences in 2010, and what vision did you bring to the company at that time?

CROs traditionally have a very siloed approach in which drug sponsors work with multiple vendors to complete their R&D. Within this traditional outsourcing paradigm, we know that transferring data, projects, and/or methodologies between CROs, or between different groups within a multi-service CRO, can take time, is prone to error, and can lead to prolonged R&D timelines. My goal with joining Altasciences was to address that directly, with the mission of improving speed and ease for sponsors during early-phase drug development.

The vision was to become a one-stop solution for outsourced early-phase drug development, whether for one study or an entire program. An alternative outsourcing solution thatwould make it easier and more efficient for sponsors to navigate these critical early phases. Early drug development comes with high risks for the sponsor; with a new outsourcing model like ours, they are able to get answers to their questions sooner, helping them make more informed decisions about the next steps for their drug candidate.

Tell us about Altasciences’ inception story.

When I joined the company, it was a single-site clinical CRO in Montréal focused on testing generic drugs.

Because the site was facing significant price competition from India, we knew we had to expand our capabilities and shift our focus to more complex, innovative drug testing. This led to the acquisition, in 2013, of our Kansas City clinical pharmacology unit.

This was the first strategic shift for the company. Next, we added a preclinical facility in Seattle (2018). And we kept this up—listening to client feedback, we made strategic moves to acquire more services and facilities that were needed to be able to offer an end-to-end solution. From 2020 to 2023 alone, we expanded our bioanalytical laboratories in Laval and Columbia, and we added six locations across North America and Europe to support and expand our preclinical and clinical offerings: a CDMO facility in Philadelphia; a third clinical unit in Los Angeles; three more preclinical facilities in Sacramento, Scranton, and Columbia; as well as an office in England.

Can you elaborate on Altasciences’ unique solution?

The idea is to approach early drug development in the same way the sponsor approaches it—as a continuum—rather than a stepwise orlinear, approach. The best way to reduce timelines and R&D complications efficiently and safely is by gaining control over the whole drug development process, so that’s what we did.

Proactive Drug Development with Altasciences offers an opportunity to reduce the overall timelines and streamline the process with a single outsourcing solution. With early drug development managed by one partner, key development activities can occur in parallel rather than sequentially. The result is a proactive, quicker, collaborative, and more agile drug development journey designed to minimize hand-offs, facilitate communication, shorten timelines, and reduce costs (and frustration) for sponsors.

By making early-phase drug development more efficient, Altasciences can help sponsors get better medicine and therapies to the people who need them, faster.

How did you implement this vision for a new outsourcing paradigm?

My first three years at the company were dedicated to building the dream team, planning the strategy, and then confirming the strategy through various research means, such as conversations with current, future, and past clients, and widespread industry surveys. In the years that followed, based on the initial and ongoing input we received, we made the acquisitions I mentioned earlier, as well as expanded current sites to increase our capabilities to meet the ever-evolving needs of sponsors worldwide. A 2022 market research survey we conducted with Biopharma Dive confirmed that Altasciences had indeed been addressing sponsors’ major pain points.

Altasciences has transformed into an end-to-end drug development solution company under your leadership. How has this integration benefited clients?

A notable client success story that comes to mind is that of a West Coast- based biopharma company. Previously, their preclinical and clinical research was divided between two separate CROs. In this traditional outsourcing model, the client had to wait for the two CROs to sequentially complete their portions of the research before submitting an IND application, and because of that delay, the two CROs failed to meet the client’s timeline. Upon turning to Altasciences, a faster path was established through the Health Canada review route.

By leveraging the Canadian regulatory pathway and our integrated, end-to-end approach, we were able to reduce the client’s timeline by 10 weeks. With Altasciences, the client proceeded with both the preclinical and clinical phases (requiring only one CRO) while simultaneously developing their IND application and Investigator’s Brochure.

In your extensive career in the CRO industry, what were some pivotal moments and experiences that shaped your journey?

Throughout my career, I’ve been presented with forks in the road with the paths I’ve taken representing pivotal moments that had the most impact on my career. The first was during my time as a study director at my first CRO. I volunteered to transfer to different departments even though I was advised by peers that this would “ruin my career.” This afforded me the chance to learn, and better understand, the drug development process and its operational challenges.

The next was shortly after arriving in Canada. The CRO I had joined experienced significant ownership changes that led to the departure of several management team members, presenting an opportunity to take on more responsibilities—I had the choice to also leave, or stay. And then the most recent was when I decided to join Altasciences. I could continue to provide the traditional outsourcing business model still used by most CROs or pivot to develop and implement a unique model in the CRO industry to fill an unmet need.

How did your background as a toxicologist influence your approach to leadership in the CRO industry, and what lessons did you carry forward from those early days?

Being a toxicologist, particularly within the fast-paced CRO environment, offers unique opportunities to gain expertise and knowledge in a wide range of disciplines covering both science and management. Toxicology comprises biology, chemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and anatomy, and extends across both in vitro and in vivo evaluations.

It teaches planning and communication skills, problem-solving, and presentation skills. It requires a high level of organization to be successful. All these skills are essential components of management and leadership roles. Some of the key lessons I learned include the value of clear communication, tolerance, understanding, and never losing sight of the goal.

You previously held various key positions in the CRO field, such as General Manager, COO, and Corporate Senior Vice President for another CRO. What are some significant accomplishments or challenges you encountered in these roles?

At Charles River Laboratories (CTBR at the time) I started as a Senior Study Director and then moved stepwise through Department Head, General Manager, and finally Corporate Senior Vice President. The challenges during these 16 years were mainly related to initially repositioning the company from a reliance on traditional large pharma and agrochemical clients.

This coincided with a new era of biological drugs and startup companies specializing in small molecules. As the company grew to be the largest single- site CRO in North America, I negotiated multi-year preferred provider agreements with multinational pharmaceutical clients to maintain the growth curve.

I also led the team that negotiated, built, and managed a site in Shanghai, China; a new undertaking that involved the acquisition of a small Chinese CRO and a transition to new purpose-built facilities, obtaining AALAC accreditation, and earning the distinction of being the first CRO in China to have an FDA audit with no findings.

What are the key principles and values that guide your leadership style?

Our industry is slow to change, and usually, tried-and-true prevails. But I, on the other hand, am much more fueled by change and innovation. So as a leader, I’ve made sure to be open to all ideas and to really listen. I prefer to focus on solutions rather than problems; offering my guidance to our teams and enabling them to meet their objectives.

At our core, Altasciences is about collaboration and teamwork, and my leadership style is much the same. It’s important to understand that it’s not just me. I have a whole team behind me that is passionate about drug development and shares the same vision. Our leadership team is hands- on and will work together, along with our scientific and operational teams to provide our clients with a seamless and positive experience. Our internal culture of communication, transparency, and collaboration translates into how we build relationships with sponsors.

As we bring this interview to a close, we extend our gratitude to Chris Perkin for generously sharing his invaluable insights and experiences. Thank you, Chris, for your vision and contributions to advancing science and improving lives.