KGL Skin Study Center

What KGL Skin Study Center does

KGL Skin Study Center is a privately held, independent dermatology clinical research organization (CRO) founded in 1984 by Kays H. Kaidbey, MD; Gary L. Grove, PhD; and James J. Leyden, MD, and headquartered at 865 Sussex Blvd, Broomall, PA in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The firm designs and executes clinical research services that evaluate the safety and efficacy of skincare products for pharmaceutical companies, cosmetic brands, and personal-care product manufacturers. Core service lines include Claims Substantiation, Safety Patch Testing built on legacy Repeat Insult Patch Testing (RIPT) methodologies attributed to founder Dr. Albert M. Kligman, Phase II–IV clinical trials across dermatological indications (acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, vitiligo, warts, aging skin), and Proof of Concept studies. Platform infrastructure combines a cloud-based Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS), electronic IRB submissions, an eConsenting workflow, a centralized subject-matching database, standardized photography, and advanced non-invasive instrumentation (corneometry, chromametry, profilometry, sebometry, TEWL, ultrasound) plus histology, immunohistochemistry, DNA/RNA/protein analysis, and microbiology capabilities marketed under the DERMICO sub-brand.

The business operates a B2B enterprise motion with a consultative sales process: no-obligation intake followed by custom protocol, budget, and timeline proposals within 1–2 weeks. Pricing is quote-based, project-based, and milestone-structured with optional cost-per-completed-subject terms. Demand-side revenue is concentrated in three vertical segments—pharmaceutical companies (regulatory submission support, including OTC and prescription topical drugs), cosmetic brands (claims substantiation, safety validation, patch testing), and personal-care product manufacturers (product-use studies, competitive differentiation). Supply-side operations depend on a pre-screened volunteer database within a 15-minute drive of Philadelphia, supplemented by referral partnerships with local dermatology practices and a self-serve online volunteer portal backed by radio advertising. Governance is led by board-certified dermatologists Dr. Omer Ibrahim, MD, MBA, and Dr. Stuart Lessin, MD, with Karen G. Lessin serving as Chief Executive Officer and Compliance Officer. Operational scale is reported at 100+ protocols executed annually, GCP compliance with internal compliance-officer oversight, and an average 2–3 week eIRB approval cadence.

Name

KGL Skin Study Center

Legal name

KGL Skin Study Center

Website

https://kglskinstudycenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KGL Skin Study Center is an independent Philadelphia-area dermatology CRO founded in 1984 that provides safety and efficacy clinical testing—including RIPT patch testing, claims substantiation, and Phase II–IV trials—for pharmaceutical companies, cosmetic brands, and personal-care product manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Medical Laboratories (621511), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Biomarker Testing Services (central labs, trial enrollment/monitoring assays) (HLAAAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contact Dermatitis & Patch Testing (HLAKACAK), Allergy & Immunology Diagnostic Testing Centers (Skin/Challenge/PFT) (HLAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Clinical research services
• Dermatology clinical trials
• Safety patch testing
• Cosmetic claims substantiation
• Skincare product testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Newtown Square

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Clinical Research Services for Pharmaceutical Companies: Phase II-IV clinical trials for prescription and OTC topical drugs targeting dermatological conditions including aging skin, eczema/atopic dermatitis, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, vitiligo, and warts/molluscum. Revenue generated through study execution fees, milestone-based payment schedules, and cost-per-completed-subject options.
2. Cosmetic and Personal Care Product Testing: Safety and efficacy testing for cosmetics, personal care products, sunscreens, anti-aging products, and aesthetic devices. Services include claims substantiation, proof of concept studies, and clinical outcome assessments. Revenue through project-based pricing with transparent itemized cost breakdowns.
3. Safety Patch Testing Services: Repeat insult patch testing (RIPT) for ingredient and product safety assessment. Includes allergenicity, photosensitivity, irritancy, comedogenicity testing. Revenue model based on study complexity, number of subjects, and assessment types required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KGL Skin Study Center is an independent clinical research organization that conducts safety and efficacy testing of skin care products, cosmetics, topical OTC and prescription drugs, and aesthetic devices. It provides Repeat Insult Patch Testing (RIPT), claims substantiation, proof-of-concept studies, and Phase II-IV clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies, cosmetic brands, and personal care product manufacturers. Operations are supported by board-certified dermatologists, non-invasive bioinstrumentation, and a large in-house volunteer database near its Philadelphia-area facility.

Product overview

KGL Skin Study Center offers a comprehensive portfolio of clinical research services focused on safety and efficacy testing of skin care and personal care products. Their core offerings include Claims Substantiation, Safety Patch Testing (RIPT), Clinical Trials (Phase II-IV), and Proof of Concept Studies. The company conducts specific studies including a Dermatitis Study and the Dermico Hair Study. They test a wide range of products including topical drugs (OTC and prescription), cleansers, moisturizers, anti-aging products, sunscreens, makeup/cosmetics, and anti-acne products. Services are supported by board-certified dermatologists and advanced instrumentation for objective data collection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DERMICO: Brand name used for world-class instrumental expertise and hair study services, including the Dermico Hair Study.

Products and services

• Claims Substantiation Clinical research services combining dermatologist assessments, advanced photography, instrumental approaches, and consumer understanding protocols to support marketing and regulatory efficacy claims for cosmetic, OTC, and prescription skin and hair products.
• Safety Patch Testing (RIPT) Repeat Insult Patch Testing (RIPT) on human subjects to assess safety and tolerability of ingredients and products, including allergenicity, photosensitivity, irritancy, acnegenicity/comedogenicity, pruritus, and cell turnover testing.
• Clinical Trials (Phase II-IV) Phase II through IV clinical trials conducted in diverse populations for skin conditions including aging skin, eczema/atopic dermatitis, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, vitiligo, warts/molluscum, and for aesthetic devices and injectables.
• Proof of Concept Studies Small-scale studies demonstrating efficacy and/or safety prior to large-scale testing, with customizable endpoints and skin biopsy tissue acquisition for histology, immunohistochemistry, DNA/RNA/Protein analysis, and microbiology.
• Dermatitis Study 12-week clinical research study evaluating topical skincare products (descale and barrier products) for psoriasiform and seborrheic dermatitis in adults aged 18 and over.
• Dermico Hair Study 24-week clinical hair study evaluating topical treatments for thinning hair and slowed hair growth in women aged 18-44, requiring 8 in-person visits and 3 remote visits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average IRB approval time: 2-3 weeks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Dermatology PracticescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local dermatology practices for recruitment of complex panels and diverse population enrollment. Complements in-house volunteer database for specialized study needs including rapid enrollment of standard panels and recruitment of subjects with specific dermatological conditions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL): RSSL is an independent contract laboratory providing analytical, product development, and clinical testing services for the food, personal care, pharmaceutical, and consumer healthcare industries. Comparable to KGL as a mid-sized specialty testing services CRO serving overlapping personal care and pharma sponsors.
• Celerion: Celerion is a mid-sized CRO specializing in early clinical development and bioanalytical services supporting pharmaceutical development. Comparable to KGL as a similarly scaled clinical research services provider with deep expertise in a defined area of clinical research for pharma sponsors.
• Inotiv: Inotiv is a contract research organization offering preclinical and clinical research services, including safety and efficacy testing supporting pharmaceutical and consumer product development. Comparable to KGL as a mid-sized specialty CRO with overlapping safety testing and clinical research service lines.

Broad incumbents

• SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA: SGS is a global testing, inspection, and certification company with consumer products and life sciences divisions serving cosmetic, personal care, and pharmaceutical clients for safety and claims testing. Overlaps with KGL on the product safety and claims substantiation work it performs, but at much larger scale and broader industry coverage.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins operates a global network of laboratories providing clinical, pharmaceutical, and consumer product testing services, including cosmetics and dermatology product testing. Comparable to KGL on clinical and product safety testing but at a vastly larger scale and across many more industries and geographies.
• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River is a major CRO providing preclinical and clinical research services to pharmaceutical and consumer products companies. Overlaps with KGL on clinical trial support for dermatology indications, but as part of a much larger, multi-modality research services portfolio.
• IQVIA: IQVIA is a leading global clinical research organization running Phase II–IV trials across all major therapeutic areas including dermatology, with combined clinical, data, and technology capabilities. Comparable to KGL on Phase II–IV dermatology clinical trials but at a fundamentally different scale and geographic footprint.
• ICON plc: ICON is a global CRO offering Phase I–IV clinical trial services across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including dermatology, for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors. Directly relevant on clinical trial execution for skin conditions, but with broader therapeutic and geographic breadth.
• Medpace: Medpace is a global mid-to-large CRO providing full-service Phase I–IV clinical trial support across multiple therapeutic areas including dermatology. Overlaps with KGL on Phase II–IV dermatology trials but operates globally with a much wider indication mix.

Emerging players

• Worldwide Clinical Trials (CTI): Worldwide Clinical Trials is a mid-sized CRO providing Phase I–IV clinical development services across therapeutic areas for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Comparable to KGL on clinical trial execution capacity and sponsor mix, though generally larger and broader in indication coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kglssc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 KGL Skin Study Center