ASKA Research – “Precision, Competence, Quality”

ASKA Research, a Division of Valerie Willetts & Associates Inc, is a niche provider of a full range of multi-centre clinical trial management and monitoring services.  Based in Vancouver BC, ASKA utilizes their network of Clinical Research Professionals across Canada to monitor Phase I - IV trials in North America.  ASKA also works with local industry partners and CRO alliance partners in the United States, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and Australia to provide monitoring services.

Valerie Willetts and Les Gee from ASKA Research

ASKA was founded in 1995 when Valerie Willetts and Les Gee expanded their consultancy services to include respected colleagues with similar standards of professional excellence in a network of clinical research professionals.

Valerie is a registered nurse, a graduate of UBC and a Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA) through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), She has managed clinical trials for academia, biotech and pharmaceutical companies such as Roche and Sanofi-Aventis. Les has a history of microcomputer support management at BCAA.  The pair felt that their combined expertise would allow them to work efficiently with clinicians in many centers and provide timely, detailed reporting and documentation to their clients. Following their decision to team up, the two flew to Dallas to meet a potential client and the next day signed their first contract. 

Today, with Valerie as President and CEO and Les as Vice President, Finance and Operations, ASKA has seven full-time employees and six core consultants.  While some may consider ASKA small for a CRO, they rely on their loyal Research Professionals Network (RPN) of over 100 clinical research professionals in urban centers across Canada to provide clinical research pathway development, monitoring and site management expertise.  Clients benefit from personally selected professionals that enable ASKA  to find an appropriate experienced professional with knowledge of their local research community.

Valerie’s passion for teaching and training has created opportunities for ASKA to provide training for Clinical Research Professionals.  Valerie is a Credentialed Trainer with ACRP.  She travels frequently to provide training for Good Clinical Practice and SOP development in addition to company-specific customized courses. ASKA Research is also the official Canadian provider of RAN Institute reference manuals, flash cards and online GCP training for clinical research professionals.

Finding Strategic Partners at Home

ASKA’s collaborators extend globally, but it was in Vancouver that ASKA found a valuable strategic partner.  While attending a BC Biotech event in 2003, Les met Cindy Trytten, Vice President, Program Development of Syreon Corporation.   Both management teams quickly realized how the two companies’ services were complementary and that together they could offer clients expertise in both clinical trial monitoring and data management.  A large pharmaceutical company agreed.  In late 2004, ASKA and Syreon signed contracts worth $1.1M to provide Novartis with clinical trial monitoring and data management services for a Phase II and a Phase IV clinical trial.

“It’s been a wonderfully supportive relationship,” says Valerie when speaking about the ASKA -Syreon partnership.  “There is excellent synergy between the two companies and we are all team players.”  In July 2005, the two companies each moved their respective corporate offices to the same floor of a building in Vancouver’s west side.

ASKA Research strives for “precision, competence and quality” in the provision of their management, monitoring and quality assurance services; the results are cost and time effective for their clients.  Based on the success of their growing company, ASKA’s goal is to double their Research Professionals Network (RPN) membership in 2006. 

“The growth potential for ASKA is virtually unlimited,” says Valerie.  “However, we must maintain the quality we are known for to keep our clients coming back”.