Thermo Fisher Scientific opens biologics manufacturing site in Lengnau, Switzerland
12 October 2021
Thermo Fisher’s new Swiss site – consisting of a 1.5 million square-foot biologics facility with up to 12,500 liters of bioreactor capacity – will initially manufacture CSL’s next-generation product for hemophilia patients.
Thermo Fisher Scientific has recently announced that it has opened a new biologics manufacturing site in Lengnau, in the Swiss canton of Bern. Thermo Fisher assumed operational responsibility of the facility as a result of their strategic partnership with biotechnology company CSL. Announced in 2020, the partnership is intended to help meet the growing demand for biologic therapies, while also accelerating CSL’s broader manufacturing objectives.
Once the site becomes operational in 2022, it will initially manufacture CSL’s next-generation recombinant factor IX product Idelvion® for patients with hemophilia B. Over time, Thermo Fisher plans to expand the use of the facility to include additional biopharma clients. The 1.5 million square-foot site will feature highly flexible bioproduction technologies, including both single-use and stainless-steel with up to 12,500 liters of bioreactor capacity, to provide a pathway from development to large-scale production as customers’ needs increase.
“We are excited to add the new Lengnau site to our global biologics manufacturing network and we are thrilled to welcome more than 200 new colleagues to Thermo Fisher,” said Michel Lagarde, executive vice president of Thermo Fisher Scientific, in a press release. “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. With the addition of new high-volume stainless-steel capabilities in Lengnau, we are enabling our customers to start their projects with us and stay with us as their manufacturing requirements grow.”
The Lengnau site is the latest addition to Thermo Fisher’s global biologics manufacturing network, which includes facilities in the United States, Netherlands, Australia and China.