Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has opened a new cGMP plasmid DNA manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, California, US enabling it to meet rapidly growing demand for plasmid DNA-based therapies and vital mRNA-based vaccines.

The 67,000-square-foot facility, located on Thermo Fisher's Carlsbad campus, is part of an investment strategy to ensure customers can reliably meet growing global demand for cell and gene therapies and vaccines.

Plasmid DNA is increasingly used as a therapeutic agent in gene therapies and certain vaccines. Its advantages, including weak immunogenicity, increased safety and ease of manufacture, have dramatically increased demand for materials and manufacturing capacity globally.

The expansion in Carlsbad also benefits the growing life sciences ecosystem in California, and Thermo Fisher will add more than 150 new roles as manufacturing scales.

"Demand for commercial plasmid DNA is outpacing supply as the development of transformative gene therapies and vaccines accelerates globally," said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Investments in state-of-the-art manufacturing such as this ensure that our customers have reliable access to the high-quality materials and capabilities that have become vital for the production of these new lifesaving medicines and the patients in need."