FAQ
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Sample are shipped from the biobank or collection site directly to the client’s laboratory. They can be shipped fresh, frozen or at ambient temperature depending on the study specifications.
The biological sample belongs to the patient and cannot be a subject of commercial trade. It also cannot be biobanked or shared with scientists unless the donor explicitly consents to the sample's use for pharmaceutical research and quality control purposes. Therefore, the budgets for sample procurement and use depend on the overall scope of services associated with study management, administrative costs, doctor's professional time spent on cohort selection and patient consent, laboratory operators' time and labor invested in sample processing and storage, logistics, and other overheads.
Yes, returning biospecimens is possible. Clients have 30 days from the arrival of the biospecimens to notify Art Biopharma and the biospecimen provider in writing if the samples fail to meet specifications. If the end user rejects any biospecimens due to non-compliance (excluding mishandling), Art Biopharma and the provider will make reasonable efforts to replace them with conforming biospecimens within a reasonable timeframe.
Art Biopharma does not maintain a catalog of available biospecimens. Due to the fast-paced nature of research and changing needs, maintaining a catalog would limit the types of samples we can offer. Instead, we work with a network of providers to ensure our clients have access to a variety of retrospective samples as well as customized, prospective collections.
Yes, all of our partners' collections are approved by an Ethics Committee or IRB. For prospective, customized collections (e.g., fresh tissue), specific approval is obtained as needed.