Thermo Fisher Scientific continues its global expansion with the opening of a new bioanalytical laboratory in GoCo Health Innovation City, Sweden. In this exclusive interview with BioPharma APAC, Leon Wyszkowski, President of Analytical Services, Clinical Research, shares insights into how this new facility aligns with Thermo Fisher's broader strategy for laboratory services across Europe, its collaboration with local biotech and pharmaceutical giants like AstraZeneca, and the advanced technologies being employed to accelerate drug development.

How does the establishment of this new bioanalytical lab in Sweden align with Thermo Fisher’s broader strategy for expanding its laboratory services across Europe?

The PPD clinical research business’ laboratory services is comprised of four distinct capabilities, including bioanalytic, good manufacturing practices (GMP), vaccines and our central lab. The new lab in GoCo Health Innovation City will focus on bioanalytical services, which provide services supporting clinical research across all phases of development helping pharmaceutical innovators bring new medicines to patients. 

The new lab facility also represents our first expansion into Europe with bioanalytics and is an addition to our already existing regional footprint encompassing our GMP site in Athlone, Ireland and our central laboratory in Brussels, Belgium. As a result, it will allow us to partner closely with customers to provide accurate, timely data across every stage of the drug development process.

Over the past 30 years, our bioanalytical laboratories have helped bring thousands of compounds to market by employing the most technologically advanced systems to develop assays and applying them to clinical trial samples across every stage of drug development. Our laboratory services deliver fast, precise and reliable results, while ensuring regulatory compliance.  This investment in Gothenburg will continue to play a key role in expanding our entire lab footprint in Europe throughout the future.

What specific advantages does the location within GoCo Health Innovation City provide in terms of collaborations with local pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including AstraZeneca?

The new laboratory in Gothenburg will expand our global capacity to deliver bioanalytical laboratory services to our pharma and biotech customers, with an emphasis on supporting customers in Europe. Currently, we have bioanalytical laboratories based in the United States (Richmond, Virginia and Middleton, Wisconsin) and in Xuzhou, China. In addition to bioanalytical laboratories, the business operates a global network of GMP (good manufacturing practices), central and vaccine science laboratories. GoCO Health Innovation City has created a unique environment that connects government, innovators and service providers all focused on delivering impactful solutions to healthcare challenges in an effort to make patients’ lives better. 

Can you share more about the technologies and methodologies that will be employed in the new lab, particularly in relation to novel modalities and biomarker analysis?

Our bioanalytical lab’s solutions will encompass both small and large molecules, biomarkers and novel modalities. Service offerings will include a wide range of advanced technologies and methodologies, such as cell-based assays, chromatography, flow cytometry, immunochemistry and molecular genomics.  We will also introduce a range of automation solutions that will help provide critical data to our customers in a shorter cycle time to help them develop new, impactful medicines.

With the addition of up to 140 highly skilled professionals, how does Thermo Fisher plan to attract and retain top talent in the competitive life sciences sector within Sweden and across Europe?

At our new lab in GoCo Health Innovation City, our team will serve pharmaceutical and biotech customers with advanced laboratory services and leading-edge instrumentation across all phases of pharmaceutical development to help deliver life-changing medicines to patients worldwide. This new lab in Sweden will employ a wide range of positions ranging from highly skilled scientists and laboratory support professionals to entry-level bench positions. We will competitively recruit talent in the region to support our Mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.  Our colleagues find great purpose in their work, and they understand the tremendous impact we play in supporting our customers as they strive to transform scientific ideas into approved life-changing medicines. At a global level, the PPD clinical research business invests in our work force’s professional development to ensure we hire and retain top talent within the life sciences industry.