Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) formed a strategic alliance to accelerate the development and manufacture of cell-based therapies.

Thermo Fisher will build and operate a 44,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art cell therapy development, manufacturing and collaboration center in leased space on UCSF's Mission Bay campus, which includes biomedical research facilities and hospitals. The site will offer clinical and commercial cGMP cell therapy manufacturing services, along with associated technology development support, to UCSF and other partners.

The facility is expected to open in 2022 and will also serve as a central location where customers and UCSF researchers will have access to Thermo Fisher's portfolio of Cell Therapy Systems (CTS) reagents, consumables, and fit-for-purpose instrumentation and software. The CTS product portfolio is designed to work seamlessly from research to clinical manufacturing to address cell therapy production workflow challenges.

"We are bringing together UCSF's leadership in the newest forms of cellular immunotherapy and Thermo Fisher's extensive capabilities in cell therapy instrumentation, manufacturing and distribution," said Mark Stevenson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "This powerful combination will provide customers – from emerging biotechs to large pharma companies – with integrated, end-to-end solutions to reduce costs and accelerate adoption of cell therapies, ultimately improving patient access to these transformative treatments."