Consulting Services & Licensing

Asterand's expertise in supplying human bio-specimens and drug discovery research services has provided a platform for expanding its business into biobank consulting, biobank mining research and drug compound licensing collaborations.

As one of the first suppliers of human bio-specimens to researchers, Asterand’s expertise in the area of biomaterial collection, processing and storage is renowned. The company provides consulting services on the management of biobanks to pharmaceutical companies as well as academic and research institutions, globally. This expertise was affirmed by the recent award of a one year, $2.9 million contract with the Department of Defense to review and assess its specimen repository and provide recommendations on the optimal research use of the bank. The DoD repository is the largest tissue bank in the world and is currently overseen and managed by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

Currently there are 75 million samples that span the period 1917 to the present. These samples represent some of the rarest diseases known to mankind. Our many years of experience have provided us with the knowledge to provide our collaborators with recommendations on the best practices within this field.

Bio-bank mining

Asterand’s combined business model of drug discovery services and biospecimen supply lends itself to "mining" collaborations for disease profiling and biomarker discovery. The company is actively seeking partners who can benefit from access to a broad range of specimens with extensive clinical data. In addition, our researchers’ history within the drug development industry allows us to offer sound scientific expertise in study design and implementation of biobank mining research projects.

Licensing/intellectual property

Asterand’s heritage of drug discovery and development, through its predecessor company Pharmagene, has produced a collection of drug discovery programs available for out licensing. Asterand has successfully licensed IP to BTG (novel EP4 receptor antagonists for migraine) and Allergan (novel prostanoid receptor agonists for eye disease) and we continue to seek partners to develop our remaining portfolio of therapeutic programs.