Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Massachusetts-based CDMO giant, inked a collaboration deal with biotech startup Mirai Bio to develop and manufacture new gene therapies.
The two aim to pair Thermo Fisher’s development know-how, manufacturing capacity and global reach with Mirai’s technology that focuses on novel nucleic acid therapeutics, according to a May 20 press release.
Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
Mirai, which was established by Flagship Pioneering in 2021 and unveiled last September, uses algorithms to tailor gene therapies to target specific tissues and cell types, as well as to optimize the cargo of the therapies in question.
The company has said its platform could help accelerate the journey through key manufacturing steps and the transition into the clinic.
“The combination of Mirai's innovation in targeted delivery and cargo design and Thermo Fisher's deep technical and commercial manufacturing expertise will maximize opportunities for the co-creation of novel medicines and help realize the full potential of both enterprises,” Justine Levin-Allerhand, an executive partner at Flagship, said in the release.
As for Thermo Fisher, the company recently announced it will pump an additional $2 billion into its U.S. production operations in the next four years. The bulk of that investment, announced in April, will go toward the company’s manufacturing facilities, with $500 million earmarked for R&D operations.
The decision came amid a wave of Big Pharma investment announcements in the U.S., with the likes of Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Roche and others making sizable spending pledges. Pharmaceuticals were excluded from President Donald Trump's initial round of tariffs in early April, but administration officials have threatened sector-specific tariffs since then.
Currently, Thermo Fisher has 64 U.S. facilities spanning 37 states, as well as operations in 43 other countries. Its global head count at the end of last year was about 125,000, with more than 50,000 working in the U.S.