Thermo Fisher opens Swiss biologics plant

Thermo Fisher will assume operational responsibility for a biologics manufacturing facility in Lengnau, Switzerland as part of its collaboration with CSL Limited.

The 1.5 million square-foot plant will become part of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s global biologics manufacturing network. The facility will house flexible bioproduction technologies, such as single-use and stainless steel with up to 12,500 L bioreactor capacity.

Thermo Fisher took over operations at Lengnau in June 2020 after it entered a strategic partnership with CSL.

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“Through our partnership with CSL, this site further strengthens our unique customer value proposition to leverage our scale and depth of capabilities for pharma and biotech customers,” Michel Lagarde executive vice president of Thermo Fisher said.

According to the firm, the addition of high-volume capabilities at the Lengnau site will support biopharma companies with a clear pathway from development through to large-scale manufacturing as production needs evolve.

Construction of the site is expected to be complete in 2022 and around 200 employees will join Thermo Fisher.

Initially, the firm will support production of CSL’s recombinant factor IX product Idelvion, which is used to control and prevent bleeding in patients with hemophilia B, but over time the company aims to expand the use of the site to include other biopharma customers.

The firm claim the site is an “important expansion” of Thermo Fisher’s biologics manufacturing network that includes Brisbane, Australia, Hangzhou, China, St. Louis, US, Princeton, US, and Groningen, Netherlands.

Last week Thermo Fisher revealed plans to invest $82.5 million in a Missouri drug substance facility run by its contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) division Patheon. The expansion forms part of a three-year capital expenditure plan across its biopharma services divisions and will add two manufacturing suites with around $15 million in new manufacturing machinery and equipment over a two-year period.