Asterand to supply clinically annotated human biospecimens for The Cancer Genome Atlas project

Asterand plc (LSE: ATD), ("Asterand" or the "Company"), a leading provider of human tissue and human tissue-based services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies engaged in drug discovery research announced today that it has been awarded a 5-year, up to $24.3 million contract with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to supply clinically annotated human biospecimens for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. The base award is valued at $5.4 million over 17 months; with provisions for renewal at the NCI's option. The contract is partly funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Asterand's Chief Executive Officer, Martyn Coombs noted:

"We are honored that the NCI has selected Asterand as a partner for this prestigious project. The TCGA will revolutionize the molecular understanding of cancer. This project emphasizes the significant impact of well characterized and high quality human specimens on modern biomedical research. We feel privileged to play a role in enabling the NCI to advance this critical research and accelerate the development of new treatments and diagnostic tools for this disease. Furthermore, the contract plays an important part in our strategy to expand our work with government institutions."