Who We Are
Asterand plc is the leading global supplier of high quality, well characterized human tissue and human tissue-based research services to drug discovery scientists. Our mission is to provide human tissues and services to accelerate the identification and validation of drug targets and enhance the selection of drug candidates with an increased likelihood of clinical success.

Formed in January 2006 from the merger of Asterand, a human tissue biorepository, and Pharmagene, a human tissue-based drug discovery company, we are uniquely positioned to provide a comprehensive approach to meet the research needs of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. From our offices in Royston (United Kingdom) and Detroit, Michigan we have more than 90 employees focused on providing services and products to accelerate drug discovery research from target identification through to compound evaluation and drug safety.

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 36 active collaborative donor institutions. Our XpressBANK^TM 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 ProCURE^TM 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.

Human Tissue & Biofluids

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

Extensive human tissue and biofluid repository
Our XpressBANK^TM biobank contains several hundred thousand samples from a broad range of anatomic sites, diseases and with diverse ethnic representation. All of our biospecimens are obtained using stringent standard operating procedures and ethical protocols to provide assurance to the researcher that the materials will meet their scientific needs.

For our clients requiring tissue samples with accompanying clinical outcome data, we maintain our BioReserve^TM repository of frozen and fixed tissues with patient follow-up data.

Through our XpressBANK^TM and BioReserve^TM repositories, we are able to provide our clients rapid delivery of human tissue, biofluids and tissue derivatives that best meet their research requirements.

Below is Asterand's standard collection protocol.

Customized Acquisition of Biomaterials
Does your research require biospecimens collected using a specialized protocol?
Asterand offers unparalleled access to human tissue and biofluids through its worldwide network of donor institutions. Through our ProCURE^TM service, human tissues and clinical data can also be custom collected to meet unique requirements.

Highly Characterized Specimens
All samples are provided with more than 100 clinical data points. Each donor site uses a standardized clinical data form and pathologic data is classified using ICD-03 and ICD-9 codes for anatomic site, morphology and behavior. As a final check, Asterand's clinical data management associates review records for each case to ensure completeness and consistency. Our stringent evaluation and classification process ensures our clients receive clinically relevant data to assist them in their research.

Unsurpassed Quality Assurance
Each biospecimen is assessed using uniform quality assurance tests. Our pathologists independently confirm the anatomic site and diagnosis for each tissue procured. In addition, our lab technicians assess the RNA integrity of each tissue received. This information is provided to our clients before they purchase so they can accurately select the samples which will best meet their needs. This reduces the number of failed experiments due to inappropriate or poor quality samples.

Target Validation Services

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 two qRT-PCR-based services to validate human targets at the gene expression level:

• XpressWay^TM 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.
• CustomMapping^TM
  Quantitative gene expression data to understand differential expression of targets in any diseased and non-diseased tissue.

Gene and Protein Localization
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 three 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.
• 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

Biomarkers
The need for clinical biomarkers (or biomarker cohorts) to support compound effect or identify safety issues is increasing and has been incorporated into the FDA critical path initiative.

Validation of biomarkers (gene or protein) in human tissues can be achieved using similar approaches to those described above.

Working with Asterand

• Scientific solutions
  • Comprehensive range of research services available
  • Existing, validated human tissue based assays
  • Ability to custom design studies and develop new assays as required
  • Scientific continuity provided throughout research programs
  • Effective extension of our customer's research teams

• Confidence
  • Extensive experience in human tissue research and drug discovery
  • High quality human tissues and comprehensive clinical data
  • All human tissues are sourced with ethical approval and consent for research
  • Access to the right human tissues to perform the right experiments
  • Proven track record in experimental design and human tissue data interpretation
  • Collaborative approach and professional project management

• Speed
  • Ready access to fresh and frozen human tissues from our network
  • 24/7 operation for fresh human tissue experiments
  • Reliable data delivery to strict timelines

• Outsourcing solutions
  • Ease of managing a single outsourced relationship for all human tissue needs
  • Fee for service - all resulting data and IP belong to our customers
  • Allow customers to focus on their core business

Compound Evaluation Services

The greatest reason for drug candidates failing during clinical development remains a lack of desired clinical effect. In addition many promising test compounds still fall out of development due to unforeseen side effects or unfavorable pharmacokinetic profiles^1,2.

Asterand performs a variety of human cell- and tissue-based assays to generate data that support the identification and selection of compounds with the best characteristics for further pre-clinical and clinical development. Studies can be designed to determine the potency, effect, disposition and safety of test compounds in human tissues. Data generated in human tissue-based models allows pre-clinical go/no-go decisions for drug candidates and formulations to be taken with more confidence for getting the right compounds into the clinic.

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 facilitate the identification and selection of drug candidates with an increased likelihood of clinical success. Our human tissue-based approach allows rapid and early evaluation of compounds in biologically relevant tissues to:

• accelerate drug development
• reduce the risk of expensive, 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 candidate compounds, providing a consultative, tailored scientific approach in order to deliver high quality human tissue-based data on the potency, efficacy, disposition and safety of test compounds.

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

• Biochemical pharmacology
• In vitro tissue pharmacology
• ADMET
• Safety pharmacology

Working with Asterand

• Scientific solutions
  • Comprehensive range of research services available
  • Existing, validated human tissue-based assays
  • Ability to custom design studies and develop new assays as required
  • Scientific continuity provided throughout research programs
  • Effective extension of our customer's research teams

• Confidence
  • Extensive experience in human tissue research and drug discovery
  • High quality human tissues and comprehensive clinical data
  • All human tissues are sourced with ethical approval and consent for research
  • Access to the right human tissues to perform the right experiments
  • Proven track record in experimental design and human tissue data interpretation
  • Collaborative approach and professional project management

• Speed
  • Ready access to fresh and frozen human tissues from our network
  • 24/7 operation for fresh human tissue experiments
  • Reliable data delivery to strict timelines

• Outsourcing solutions
  • Ease of managing a single outsourced relationship for all human tissue needs
  • Fee for service - all resulting data and IP belong to our customers
  • Allow customers to focus on their core business