Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Form Pact to Optimize Advanced Therapy Supply Chain

Thermo Fisher Scientific and Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) have entered into a collaboration to provide drug developers with the manufacturing capability and distribution, logistics, and storage capacity needed to accelerate the development and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. The aim of this initiative is to address the challenges of supply chain management for cell and gene therapies.

As part of the collaboration, Fisher BioServices will expand its CryoHub solution by co-locating it with Catapult’s new large-scale cell and gene therapy manufacturing center based in Stevenage, United Kingdom, which is expected to be completed in summer 2017. This site will be able to offer more centralized manufacturing, storage, distribution, and logistics, which both parties hope will result in a seamless supply chain.

The CryoHub is a complete cryogenic storage, distribution, and logistics solution consisting of configurable, modular components. Each module can be outfitted to meet the specific needs of a clinical trial, regardless of volume or geographic location. The CryoHub solution can accommodate early phase trials where only a few shipments are received, stored, and eventually distributed, as well as large-scale operations where many shipments are received and processed daily.  This flexibility, combined with the close proximity to the CGT Catapult’s manufacturing center, enables advanced therapy developers to conduct clinical trials across multiple geographies and provide patients around the world with access to their therapies.