The expanded Frederick, MD, site will help meet global demand for diagnostic instruments and cell and gene therapies for clinical trials.
Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the opening of its new business center and biorepository in Frederick, MD, on Oct. 29, 2018.
The center has been expanded by more than 190,000 ft2 and will serve as the North American hub for the company’s life sciences business. It is the largest building on the Frederick campus with more than 80 employees. The expansion includes another 22,000 ft2 to accommodate future growth and advancements in automation, bringing the company’s total investment in the facility to nearly $10 million.
The expansion also adds a 77,000-ft2 facility to house a cryo-innovation center and National Cancer Institute’s repository for clinical trials. Another 15,000 ft2have been reserved for future expansion, the company reports.
The cryo-innovation center will be a future third-party logistics site to support clinical trial and commercial cell and gene therapy, employing 20 people and representing an investment of $5 million. The site will consolidate several smaller facilities, making it a center of excellence for clinical and academic research sample storage.
The facility supporting the National Cancer Institute will serve as a central biorepository to support oncology clinical trials. This represents a $2-million investment and employs more than 15 people.
"The Frederick campus will serve as Thermo Fisher's clinical and commercial hub for cell and gene therapy treatments to meet the growing demand from the global healthcare industry," said Dave Meadows, vice-president and general manager for Fisher BioServices at Thermo Fisher Scientific, in a company press release. "Given the highly skilled workforce in Frederick County, it made sense to expand our current facility, and we're excited to continue to bring advanced manufacturing and high-tech careers to Maryland."
In addition to the new facility, upgrades also include a security operations center as well as a recently launched bikeshare program to make it easier for employees to commute and live healthier lifestyles. The Frederick campus has more than 450 employees in total.
Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific