Serving a Critical Need
Pharmaceutical research is at a critical crossroads. Despite a dramatic increase in R&D budgets, the number of new drug applications is falling because the failure rate in clinical trials remains high. Researchers have always known that animal models provide only a partial guide to drug response in humans. Thus, scientists are becoming increasingly reliant upon human tissue-based models to bridge this knowledge gap and improve decision making during the development of medicines for man.

Our Products
Asterand offers unparalleled access to human tissue through its worldwide network of 83 active collaborative donor institutions. Our XpressBANKTM biobank contains several hundred thousand specimens from a broad range of therapeutic areas and with diverse ethnic representation. Our tissues provide high value to our clients; the quantity of material provided for each sample allows scientists to conduct multiple experiments using a single specimen. In addition, our renowned quality assurance procedures provide stringent controls on specimen collection and characterization and on the corresponding clinical data. As part of this process, we also independently confirm pathology and assess RNA integrity of our tissues. Our quality control results are provided to researchers before they purchase so they can choose samples that will best meet their scientific requirements. Through our ProCURETM service, human tissues and clinical data can also be custom collected to meet special requirements. This includes the collection of follow-up data related to patient outcome.

Our Services
Asterand's Services division offers exemplary scientific expertise in human tissue research. We have more than 10 years experience in providing top multinational pharmaceutical companies with human tissue-based services. Through our PhaseZERO® drug discovery services platform, we provide a collaborative scientific approach to deliver human tissue-based data on target & biomarker validation as well as compound potency, efficacy, disposition and safety. Our studies can be custom designed and are conducted on a fee-for-service basis where our clients own and retain all resulting IP and data.

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Asterand is a leading global supplier of human tissues and biofluids with accompanying clinical information for research purposes.

Asterand's PhaseZERO® Drug Discovery Services platform utilizes human tissues in vitro to generate data that drive target validation and support decision making for progressing the best targets.

The services we provide apply across a range of different therapeutic research areas. Click here to download a summary of which PhaseZERO® services can be accessed within your therapeutic area of interest.

Our Goal

We aim to provide data to support the validation of human targets and biomarkers to facilitate selection of those with the greatest likelihood of clinical success.

Our human tissue-based approach allows rapid and early evaluation of targets and biomarkers in biologically relevant tissues to:

accelerate development

reduce the risk of late stage failures

improve productivity

Our Scope

For over 10 years our scientists have been consulted by and have collaborated with top, global pharmaceutical companies. We help our customers evaluate human targets and biomarkers, providing expertise and a tailored scientific approach to deliver high quality human tissue-based data.

Our Services

We provide a wide range of standard and custom assays in the following areas:

Gene Expression 

The search for novel therapies to treat human disease often begins with the identification of viable drug targets via understanding gene expression differences between diseased and non-diseased tissues. 

To support this understanding, Asterand offers four qRT-PCR-based services to validate human targets at the gene expression level: 

XpressWay® Profiles

Quantitative gene expression profiles to identify which non-diseased human tissues express a given target. Data are used to confirm therapeutic approach, exploit opportunities to switch indication and identify the potential for side effects. 

TargetEvaluator®

A comprehensive database of expression of gene transcripts in non-diseased human tissues, together with proprietary software that will provides an interface to the information found in gene expression profiles, assisting in confirming, altering or negating pathway opportunities for your targets of choice. 

CustomMappingTM

A powerful follow-on capability to initial gene expression observations, focusing on targets of interest, to understand differential expression in any diseased and non-diseased tissue.

Molecular Pathology

To further understand the potential function of a human target and its possible role in disease, it is important to localize that target at the cellular level. To achieve this, Asterand provides five core services: 

In situ hybridization (ISH)

Cellular localization of target genes in human diseased and non-diseased tissues using high quality frozen human tissue sections or tissue microarrays. 

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Cellular localization of target proteins in human diseased and non-diseased tissues using high quality FFPE or frozen human tissue sections or microarrays. 

Tissue Cross-Reactivity

An IHC assay which assesses the cross-reactivity of therapeutic antibody candidates under non-GLP conditions in a frozen tissue microarray for customers screening antibody candidates prior to the comprehensive GLP study. 

Antibody Validation

Combination of gene expression intelligence and IHC immunostaining to produce the highest quality digital photomicrographs of the research antibody's immunoreactivity along with data regarding the optimum conditions for end user application of the antibody. 

Autoradiography

Localization of ligand binding sites in frozen human tissue sections. These studies allow you to:

Validate gene expression data

Identify differences in target expression and localization in human disease

Explore target expression in different human tissues to identify the potential for side effects

Management

Martyn Coombs – Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

John Stchur, CPA - Chief Financial Officer   

Victoria Blanc, Ph.D. - General Manager - US Operations 

Dalia Cohen, Ph.D. - Chief Scientific Officer

Tony Brown, Ph.D. - General Manager - UK Operations 

Ellen Berg, Ph.D. - General Manager - BioSeek LLC 

Terry Reilly - Vice President of Sales & Marketing 

Amanda J Woodrooffe, Ph.D. - General Manager - UK Operations

Ellen Berg, Ph.D. - General Manager - BioSeek Inc.

Ivan Plavec, Ph.D. - Vice President Business Development - BioSeek Inc.

Board of Directors
Chairman
Jack Davis - Non-Executive Director 

Executive Directors
Martyn Coombs – Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director
John Stchur – Chief Financial Officer

Non-Executive Directors
Dr. Peter Coggins - (Senior Independent Director) 
Jonathan Fleming
Jill L. Force 
Ian Ratcliffe
Robert Salisbury

For investor information click here