Friends of Reference Medicine
Ethical, transparent access to oncology specimens
A new approach in biobanking
A curated, global collective of hospital and biobank partners that expands researcher access to ethically sourced oncology specimens while preserving traceability, quality, and service.
For years, Reference Medicine has been the partner researchers trust for ethically sourced, clinically verified biospecimens. Now we’re extending that promise with Friends of Reference Medicine — a carefully curated collective of hospital and biobank partners who meet our standards for transparency, traceability, and clinical rigor.
Access a wider range of tumor types, matched sets, and specimen formats through a single trusted channel — without adding vendor complexity or sacrificing integrity.
Our First Friend: Prisma Health
Prisma Health joins as the inaugural member of the collective. Their clinical rigor and ethical practices extend our reach to additional rare tumor types, matched sets, and specimen formats while preserving the chain of custody and traceability our customers rely on.
Bridging, not brokering
This is not a resale or brokerage play. It's a collaboration model that:
- Reduces vendor fragmentation
- Protects patient-contributed specimens from misuse
- Keeps research-quality and transparency as the priority
Every friend of Reference Medicine meets our four non-negotiables:
Expanded access
More tumor types, formats, and rare samples than what we have in our biobank, all coordinated through us.
Consistent quality
Friends are vetted to meet Reference Medicine’s rigorous ethical, clinical, and documentation standards.
Seamless experience
One request. One contract. One invoice. One dedicated Reference Medicine team guiding the process.
Transparent pricing
Clear, published costs with full visibility into our facilitation margin.
The problem we solve
Researchers don’t need more vendors — they need trusted access. Traditional multi-vendor sourcing often creates duplication, lost clinical context, hidden markups, and fractured traceability. That friction slows research, inflates budgets, and undermines confidence in results.
Friends of Reference Medicine solves that by connecting trusted partners into one transparent access point designed for science.
How it works: Simple, Transparent, Ethical
Are you building the next non-invasive diagnostic for a GI or Urinary Tract Tumor?
- Search & Request: Tell us what you need; we search our network for fit.
- Feasibility & Vetting: We confirm availability, consent, and quality under our standards.
- One Order, Full Documentation: One contract, one invoice, and a manifest with clinical metadata and pathology reports.
- Delivery & Support: Temperature-controlled shipping and a single support team to handle questions or replacements.
What researchers can look forward to:
- Ethically sourced, pathologically verified specimens
- Matched tissue + biofluid sets (FFPE, frozen, plasma, buffy, serum)
- Treatment-naïve cohorts and prospective, protocol-aligned collections
- Digital H&E scans and molecular annotation where available
- Clear provenance and QC documentation for regulatory and validation needs
FAQ
You’ll work with Reference Medicine as your single contracting entity; we handle coordination with our Friends and present one clear invoice, even if you order specimens from both our biobank and theirs.
Yes. All Friends of Reference Medicine are vetted and must meet our clinical, ethical, and documentation criteria.
Yes — through the collective we expand capacity for rare samples and can perform prospective collections aligned to your protocol.
Pricing is transparent; we disclose supplier cost and our facilitation margin up front.
