Thermo Fisher Opens Advanced Therapies Collaboration Center in California

Text sign showing Industry News. Business photo text delivering news to the general public or a target public | Image Credit: © Artur - stock.adobe.com

Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened a new Advanced Therapies Collaboration Center, which the company abbreviates as ATxCC (1). The 6000-square-foot facility is in Carlsbad, Calif., which is situated in the greater San Diego area. Thermo Fisher announced the grand opening on April 17, 2025.

The purpose and design of the facility, according to a company press release, is to accelerate development and commercialization of cell therapies—more specifically, supporting bio/pharmaceutical and biotech companies, as well as translational customers, who are developing cell-based immunotherapies (1).

With access to Thermo Fisher’s portfolios of both products and technology, along with a knowledge base in process optimization, these developers will be able to create comprehensive, end-to-end manufacturing workflows that will be scalable for both clinical and commercial purposes (1). Developers can also receive the support they need to transition to current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) manufacturing.

"Our new Advanced Therapies Collaboration Center represents a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to deliver solutions that address critical challenges in cell therapy development. By enabling access to our expertise and broad range of instrumentation, reagents, lab equipment and analytical solutions, we aim to help our customers overcome manufacturing hurdles and accelerate their path to commercialization," Betty Woo, vice-president, cell, gene, and advanced therapies, Thermo Fisher Scientific, said in the press release (1). "By fostering collaboration and innovation, the center is poised to play a pivotal role in helping to advance cell therapies, ultimately improving patient lives."

In the press release, Thermo Fisher listed several key benefits the ATxCC program is designed to provide including, as mentioned, access to innovative technologies, in addition to protocol and process optimization support, and continued support with regard to the evolution of therapeutic programs (1).

At the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) Week 2025, in March 2025 in New York City, BioPharm International® spoke with Anil Kane, PhD, global head of Technical & Scientific Affairs, Pharma Services at Thermo Fisher Scientific, about numerous topics, among them identifying where drug demand is greatest, and then figuring out how to serve that population (2).

“At Thermo Fisher—in the Pharma Services group specifically—we continue to see and monitor the market demand in terms of, what are those therapeutic areas that our customers would like to address, what are the types of molecules, what are the capacities and the demands of our customers?” Kane said in the interview (2). “And then we continue to monitor these and make strategic discussions with our partners and either leverage our existing capacity or are in discussions: How do we meet those demands, to meet the future requirements, to see the molecules reach the patient in the coming years?”

Click here for the full DCAT Week video interview with Kane.

An “expanded footprint” of the Carlsbad ATxCC is anticipated to open in Philadelphia later in 2025, according to Thermo Fisher Scientific (1).

References

1. Thermo Fisher Scientific. Thermo Fisher Scientific Opens Advanced Therapies Collaboration Center in Greater San Diego to Help Accelerate Cell Therapy Development. Press Release. April 17, 2025.
2. Lavery, P. DCAT Week 2025: Keeping Up with Drug Demand. BioPharmInternational.com, March 18, 2025.