Thermo Fisher Invests $475M in Biopharma Capabilities

Responding to increased demand for new biologics, cell and gene therapies, Waltham, MA-based Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. announced Monday that it is committing $475 million this year to expand its biopharmaceuticals capacity and capabilities. 

“We’ve invested strategically to ensure that lack of capabilities, capacity or supply is never a reason medicines are delayed in reaching patients,” Mike Shafer, president of Thermo Fisher’s pharma services business, said in a company release. “Our offering can provide solutions to all points along the pathway to commercialization, whether its an emerging biotech working on vaccine for a novel virus or a high-volume pharmaceutical manufacturer delivering necessary drugs at scale.”

Since 2019, the company has invested $800 million in its pharma services business. Thermo Fisher recently wrapped up a $50 million expansion of its St. Louis facility, doubling its capacity for biological drug substance development and commercial manufacturing. A new Bioprocessing Collaboration Center will open in July at the site, enabling Thermo Fisher to work with customers on new bioprocessing products, workflows, and services. 

Thermo Fisher also expanded its viral vector manufacturing capabilities with the expansion of facilities in Cambridge, MA and Alachua, FL and the opening of a new site in Lexington, MA. Plans are underway to open a new cell therapy development and manufacturing collaboration center in Princeton, NJ. The company said it is working to increase its sterile drug development and commercial capabilities across its global footprint.

“We will continue making investments so that customers can start with us in development and stay with us throughout the product lifecycle, all while remaining confident that we’ll continue to capitalize on the broad resources and expertise within Thermo Fisher to provide access to new specialized technology and expertise as the industry evolves and innovates,” said Shafer. 

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