US-based healthcare technology firm Thermo Fisher Scientific will invest more than $475m in 2020 to enhance its new biologics, cell and gene therapies and drug products capabilities.
The company said that its current investment, along with those made in 2019, would make its total investment reach approximately $800m across its pharma services business.
Thermo Fisher pharma services business president Mike Shafer said: “We’ve invested strategically to ensure that lack of capabilities, capacity or supply is never a reason medicines are delayed in reaching patients.
“Our offering can provide solutions at all points along the pathway to commercialisation, whether it’s an emerging biotech working on vaccine for a novel virus or a high-volume pharmaceutical manufacturer delivering necessary drugs at scale.”
Thermo Fisher is investing in three major areas of demand, including biologics, cell and gene therapy, along with drug product development and commercial capabilities.
Expansion of biologics development, cell and gene therapy capabilities
The company has completed $50m expansion at the St. Louis site, doubling the production capacity for biological drug substance development and commercial manufacturing.
The facility produces biologics using single-use technology with enhanced ability to meet the clinical and commercial manufacturing needs of customers.
In addition, the company will open a new Bioprocessing Collaboration Center within the St. Louis site, facilitating joint development of advanced new bioprocessing products, workflows and services.
Thermo Fisher has acquired Brammer Bio and has expanded its viral vector development and manufacturing capabilities by opening a new site in Lexington and expanding sites in Cambridge and Alachua.
The company would also open a new cell therapy development and manufacturing collaboration centre in Princeton, New Jersey. The new cell therapy facility, combining pharma services and biosciences expertise from across the company’s network, is expected to come online in later 2020.
Shafer added: “We will continue making investments so that customers can start with us in development and stay with us throughout the product lifecycle, all the while remaining confident that we’ll continue to capitalise on the broad resources and expertise within Thermo Fisher to provide access to new specialised technology and expertise as the industry evolves and innovates.”
