Thermo Fisher CPHI Milan 2026: Drug Development Expansion

Thermo Fisher Scientific is expanding its drug development, manufacturing and clinical service capabilities to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies improve development efficiency and accelerate progress toward commercialisation. The company highlighted these expanded offerings at CPHI Milan 2026, held October 6–8, with new solutions and investments spanning oral solid dose development, sterile manufacturing, biologics production and clinical trial supply.

Among the new offerings is OSD Express, a defined solution designed to improve predictability and efficiency in oral solid dose development. Through its Accelerator™ Drug Development approach, Thermo Fisher connects drug development, clinical trials, clinical supply, endpoint solutions and laboratory services to reduce handoffs between development stages. Its collaboration with AustinPx also expands access to KinetiSol™ Technology, a solvent-free processing technology designed to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs and to support scale-up for commercial manufacturing.

For sterile drug products, Steriles Express Solutions offers defined pathways for early development and late-stage technology transfer. The company states that its early development service can deliver Phase I or II clinical trial material in as little as 20 weeks, while its technology transfer service can provide a Phase III GMP batch in as little as 26 weeks. Additional investments in sterile manufacturing capacity across the United States and Italy will support vial and prefilled syringe production, alongside expanded fill-finish and drug-device capabilities. Investments in tablet manufacturing, dry granulation and serialised packaging are also intended to strengthen oral solid dose production.

“Drug development increasingly depends on decisions and capabilities that span traditional boundaries, from development and manufacturing to clinical supply and clinical execution,” said Mike Shafer, Executive Vice President and President, Biopharma Services, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We’re investing not only in capacity, but in how those capabilities connect. That gives our customers greater continuity as they navigate critical transitions, scale their programs, and prepare for commercialisation.”

Thermo Fisher is also expanding its biologics and clinical supply infrastructure. New bioprocessing equipment in Plainville, Massachusetts, will increase US-based cGMP monoclonal antibody manufacturing capacity, while its US Bioprocess Design Centre supports the translation of process innovations into scalable manufacturing solutions. The company has also expanded its Gibco™ CHO-K1 Catalogue Panel Media and Feed portfolio to support cell growth and protein production. In clinical trial supply, a facility expansion in Bohemia, New York, and a new facility in Tokyo are expected to increase capacity for clinical labelling, storage, distribution, and secondary packaging.

Digital technologies and data are another focus of the expansion. Within its PPD™ clinical research business, generative AI has delivered an aggregate 50% reduction in master informed consent form drafting time, according to the company. Thermo Fisher is also expanding real-world evidence generation through the PPD™ CorEvitas™ Vitiligo Registry and supporting patient-reported data collection in early-stage oncology trials through Clario’s eCOA Swift. At CPHI Milan, company experts also discussed CDMO partnerships and practical applications of AI in drug development, highlighting the role of integrated capabilities and digital tools in improving the execution of development.