Thermo Fisher Scientific to Acquire Brammer Bio

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. took a major step into the viral vector manufacturing arena with the announced purchase of Brammer Bio, a viral vector contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), with 600 employees and locations in Massachusetts and Florida. The purchase agreement, announced in a March 24, 2019 press statement, is for approximately $1.7 billion in cash.

Brammer Bio will become part of Thermo Fisher's pharma services business, which includes Patheon and Fisher Clinical Services.

"Brammer Bio will be an exciting addition to our pharma services business and will further strengthen Thermo Fisher's leadership in serving pharma and biotech customers," said Marc N. Casper, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the statement. "Gene therapy is an area of increasing focus for our customers and is fast-evolving given its potential to treat a range of genetic disorders. The combination of Brammer Bio's viral vector capabilities with our GMP production expertise and proprietary bioprocessing and cell culture technologies uniquely positions us to partner with our customers to drive the evolution of this incredibly fast-growing market."

In the statement, Brammer Bio, co-founders Mark Bamforth, president and chief executive officer, and Dr. Richard Snyder, chief scientific officer, commented: "We are proud to be pioneers in process development and manufacturing of viral vectors. Brammer Bio has executed more than 100 projects to supply first-in-human gene therapy clinical trials and establish commercial-ready processes, and we're excited to join Thermo Fisher to take our business to the next level.”

The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2019, pending customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific