Asterand's diversification plan over the last year is taking hold enough now that the TechTown-based business expects to hire a dozen people over the next 12 months.
The 10-year-old firm that specializes in human tissue research and services had previously worked primarily with pharmaceutical companies. Over the past year Asterand, which is publicly traded on the
London Stock Exchange, has worked to diversify its customer base by creating more human tissue-based product lines for bio-tech companies and working closer with the government.
"We're going to continue with that," says Victoria Blanc, vice president of strategic planning and government affairs for
Asterand. "We're looking to get more entrenched with our customers and offer a more embedded product."
As part of those efforts, Asterand recently won a 5-year contract worth up to $24.3 million from the
National Cancer Institute. Asterand will supply clinically annotated human biospecimens for
The Cancer Genome Atlas project. The company will receive $5.4 million over 17 months (paid for with federal stimulus cash) with an option of extending the contract at NCI's discretion.
That and other new contracts and partnerships have allowed Asterand to expand its workforce to 100 people worldwide with 60 employees and one intern in
TechTown. It expects to hire another dozen people in Detroit to help keep up with this expected growth.
Source: Victoria Blanc, vice president of strategic planning and government affairs for Asterand
Writer: Jon Zemke
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.