About Us
Who we are
Turning Science Into Success
Astrum CRO was founded with one clear mission: to deliver clinical trials that accelerate both regulatory progress and investor milestones. Too often, promising therapies are delayed by fragmented services, inconsistent quality, or data that fails to convince regulators and investors alike.
Astrum was created to change that — uniting experienced European CROs under one brand to deliver trials that are faster, more reliable, and strategically aligned with funding and approval pathways. With Global reach and one of Europe’s largest Phase I units in Porto, we support clients from early development through late-phase programs, helping bring life-changing therapies to patients sooner.
25 years of combined clinical excellence
Meet our team
Our leadership combines deep scientific expertise, operational excellence, and global reach –
ensuring every trial is delivered with speed, quality, and compliance.
Executive Leadership
Dr. Elisabeth Lackner
Chief Executive Officer & Chairperson of the Board
Austria
Dr. Elisabeth Lackner
Chief Executive Officer & Chairperson of the Board
Dr. Elisabeth Lackner brings decades of leadership in clinical research and pharma innovation, with a proven track record in scaling international life science operations. As Chair of Astrum’s Board, she provides strategic direction and oversight of corporate governance.
Jeremy Schild
Vice President of Business Development
United Kingdom
Jeremy Schild
Vice President of Business Development
Jeremy Schild brings more than 20 years of commercial leadership experience across the pharmaceutical and CRO sectors, spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. He has led strategic business development initiatives for global CROs, with deep expertise in RFP and bid management, master service agreements, and preferred-provider partnerships. At Astrum, Jeremy leads the Business Development, Scientific Affairs, and Proposal teams, driving commercial growth and strengthening strategic partnerships across the organisation.
Dr. Cristina Lopes
Chief Operating Officer
Portugal
Dr. Cristina Lopes
Chief Operating Officer
Cristina Lopes has extensive experience in patient recruitment and site management, with a focus on Phase I trials and early patient engagement strategies. She has developed site networks and processes that improved trial efficiency and participant retention across Europe. At Astrum, Cristina leads site and patient services, ensuring trials recruit effectively and deliver meaningful results.
Carlos Faro
Chief Financial Officer
Spain
Carlos Faro
Chief Financial Officer
Carlos Faro brings more than two decades of financial leadership in the healthcare and clinical research sectors. He has managed budgets for large-scale international operations and driven financial stability during periods of rapid expansion. At Astrum, Carlos oversees financial strategy, ensuring sustainable growth and efficient resourcing for clinical trial delivery.
Senior Leadership Team
Jordi Picas
Director of Project Delivery
Spain
Jordi Picas
Director of Project Delivery
Jordi Picas is Director of Project Delivery at Astrum, bringing more than 15 years of experience in clinical operations, project leadership, regulatory affairs, and clinical development. His expertise spans Phase II and Phase III trials, non-interventional studies, vendor and CRO oversight, regulatory strategy, clinical documentation, and cross-functional delivery.
At Astrum, Jordi is responsible for ensuring that clinical studies are delivered with operational excellence, regulatory discipline, and clear sponsor communication. He leads project delivery with a focus on quality, timelines, transparency, and effective coordination across internal teams, clinical sites, vendors, and external partners.
Raquel Pinto
Head of Human Resources
Portugal
Raquel Pinto
Head of Human Resources
Dr. Ralf Freese
Senior Director of Site & Patient Services, Chief Medical Officer
Portugal
Dr. Ralf Freese
Senior Director of Site & Patient Services, Chief Medical Officer
Ralf Freese is a physician with more than 25 years of experience in early-phase clinical development and clinical pharmacology. Before joining Astrum, he spent 17 years at the Clinical Trial Center North in Hamburg, serving as Medical Director and Director of Business and Corporate Development, overseeing more than 130 Phase I to III clinical studies.
He has also served as Vice President of the BVMA since 2017, reflecting his strong standing within the European clinical research community.
At Astrum, Ralf leads Site & Patient Services at the company’s 64-bed hospital-based Phase I Unit in Porto, supporting high-quality early-phase clinical development through strong scientific and operational leadership.
Operational Leadership
Dr. Ralf Freese
Senior Director of Site & Patient Services, Chief Medical Officer
Portugal
Dr. Ralf Freese
Senior Director of Site & Patient Services, Chief Medical Officer
Ralf Freese is a physician with more than 25 years of experience in early-phase clinical development and clinical pharmacology. Before joining Astrum, he spent 17 years at the Clinical Trial Center North in Hamburg, serving as Medical Director and Director of Business and Corporate Development, overseeing more than 130 Phase I to III clinical studies.
He has also served as Vice President of the BVMA since 2017, reflecting his strong standing within the European clinical research community.
At Astrum, Ralf leads Site & Patient Services at the company’s 64-bed hospital-based Phase I Unit in Porto, supporting high-quality early-phase clinical development through strong scientific and operational leadership.
Our Journey
Decades of Heritage, One Future
Astrum may be new by name, but our foundation spans over four decades of European clinical research. From Pharmalog’s early beginnings in 1983 to BlueClinical’s leadership in Phase I development, each legacy company contributed expertise that now powers Astrum’s unified CRO platform.
Today, headquartered in Madrid and operating across Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, we bring together a heritage of scientific excellence, audited facilities, and regulatory credibility – including inspections by FDA, EMA, and ANVISA. With this foundation, Astrum delivers end-to-end clinical trial services from Phase I to IV, strategically designed not only for regulatory approval but also for investor confidence – ensuring every milestone drives therapies closer to patients.
Our Story
Our People, Our Strength
Behind Astrum is a team of 300+ dedicated professionals — clinical researchers, physicians, regulatory experts, data scientists, and operational leaders — united by a shared mission: to accelerate therapies from first-in-human to late-phase success. With more than 25 years of experience and over 1,200 clinical studies completed, our people bring not only scientific and operational expertise, but also the strategic insight to design trials aligned with both regulatory requirements and investor milestones.
Together, we combine depth, agility, and pan-European reach — anchored by one of Europe’s largest Phase I units in Porto and strengthened by a trusted network across Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany.
Our History
The timeline below outlines how Astrum’s unified organisation came to be. Combining the experience and resources of four established European Contract Research Organisations, our heritage goes all the way back to 1983.
1983
Pharmalog Founded
The Astrum journey began in 1983 with the founding of Pharmalog by Dr R. Eberhardt. Based in Ismaning, Germany, Pharmalog has extensive experience in non-interventional studies in the field of medical devices, pharmaceutical products, ATMPs, and biologics.
MissionTEC founded
MissionTEC, founded in 2002, works with 150 ICH, GCP, and IATA-trained clinical research nurses across France, bringing exceptional service and expertise directly to the patient’s door. MissionTEC would later join Popsicube in providing flexible service with the patient at their heart.
2002
2004
Popsicube founded
Full-service CRO Popsicube was founded in 2004, offering not just the expertise of a CRO, but collaborating on projects on the future of healthcare, personalised and predictive medicine, and artificial intelligence, where Popsicube’s expertise in clinical trials and new technologies have highly beneficial applications.
Bioclever founded
Based in Spain, Bioclever was founded in 2005 offering comprehensive support in clinical development. With an agile approach that utilises innovative digital solutions, Bioclever established itself as a leader in the end-to-end management of the clinical research process.
2005
2012
BlueClinical founded
BlueClinical’s Phase I Unit was established in 2012 within a hospital environment in Porto, ensuring the highest standards of safety and medical oversight. Specializing in Phase I and healthy volunteer studies, the unit combines clinical excellence with advanced infrastructure to deliver high-quality, compliant, and efficient early-phase research for sponsors worldwide.
Astrum founded
In 2023, supported by Henko Partners, Astrum was formed from four established Contract Research Organisations. Our 25 years of combined clinical expertise can now provide a wide array of services across Europe that are tailored to each customer’s needs.
2023
Our Board of Directors
Astrum is supported by Henko Partners, an independent private equity fund focused on developing outstanding companies in markets with long-term growth trends. Henko Partners collaborates with top entrepreneurs and management teams to develop successful businesses. They’re a responsible investor committed to strict environmental, social, and governance principles.
“As entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, we support companies to accelerate their growth and transform into more resilient and sustainable businesses. We are helping Astrum grow into a solid mid-sized clinical development partner, whilst keeping its agility and closeness to its loyal client base.”
Lars Becker
Partner, Henko Partners
United Kingdom
Lars Becker
Partner, Henko Partners
Lars Becker is a private equity leader with extensive experience investing in healthcare and life sciences across Europe. As a founding partner at Henko, he supports Astrum’s growth journey, ensuring strong governance and sustainable expansion.
Let’s Turn Your Science Into Success.
Reach out to our team to explore how Astrum can deliver speed, quality, and
investor-ready results for your next trial.
Social Responsibility & Sustainability
Acting with Purpose Beyond Clinical Research
At Astrum, we believe that advancing clinical development goes hand-in-hand with acting responsibly toward people, communities, and the environment. Our commitment to sustainability, diversity, ethics, and transparency is embedded in everything we do — from the way we conduct trials to how we treat our employees and partners.
Our Commitment
We are building a company that not only accelerates innovation but also creates long-term value for patients, society, and our people. For Astrum, sustainability is not a side project — it is part of our mission to turn science into success responsibly.
Transparent
Transparent and ethical behavior in all operations
UN Global Compact
Alignment with international principles such as the UN Global Compact
business strategy
Integration of sustainability into business strategy and decision-making
Our Work
Patient Safety & Data Integrity
- Every trial is conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki, ICH-GCP, and EU/FDA/ANVISA regulations.
- We apply rigorous quality systems, audits, and CAPA processes to guarantee safety, data integrity, and compliance.
- Ongoing training through our Learning Management System ensures that all employees uphold the highest standards.
Our Employees
- We foster a workplace defined by respect, inclusion, and equal opportunity.
- Diversity is seen as a strength: our teams span multiple countries and cultures, bringing richer perspectives to our work.
- Transparent compensation, non-discrimination, and wellbeing initiatives ensure a healthy and motivating workplace.
Our Clients & Partners
- We expect our partners and vendors to uphold the same ethical and sustainability standards we apply to ourselves.
- Policies include anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and whistleblower protections to safeguard integrity.
- We choose collaborators who share our vision of responsible innovation.
Our Environment
- We are mindful of our environmental footprint across all sites and offices.
- Our efforts include:
- Energy-efficient facilities and equipment
- Responsible travel policies, leveraging remote technologies to reduce emissions
- Waste reduction and recycling programs
- We continuously seek ways to minimize impact while supporting sustainable development goals.
Measuring Our Progress
Astrum is committed to transparency in sustainability. We track and report progress annually, benchmarking against industry best practices. Future goals include:
Publishing Astrum’s first Sustainability & Responsibility Report
Pursuing external sustainability ratings (EcoVadis)
Expanding green office initiatives across our Global European sites
Why It Matters
For Astrum, responsibility is not optional. Patients, regulators, investors, and employees expect more than clinical
excellence — they expect integrity, care, and long-term value creation. By aligning sustainability with our clinical
mission, we ensure that every study contributes to a healthier future, in every sense of the word.