Thermo Fisher to build plasmid DNA manufacturing facility

Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the construction of a new current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) plasmid DNA manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, CA. The 67,000-sq.-ft. site—which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021—will expand the company's clinical and commercial capabilities for cGMP plasmid DNA as a raw material to develop cell and gene-based therapies, including cancer treatments, along with mRNA vaccines.

In addition, the site will be able to produce large-scale plasmid DNA as a main drug substance for DNA therapies.

The new building—one that will add approximately 150 jobs over the next year—furthers the company's investment in cell and gene therapy services. This includes viral vector services in Cambridge, Lexington and Plainville, MA, and Alachua, FL; a new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Princeton, NJ; and coming January 2021, a cryocenter in Weil am Rhein, Germany, for delivering specialized cryogenic and cold-chain supply chain services.