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Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co., Ltd
How to accelerate China's innovation globalization with "China speed" | Meet Miguel Faustino, President of Thermo Fisher Scientific China
Date: 2025-11-22Read: 1
To reduce risks related to trade frictions, Chinese innovative pharmaceutical companies can rely on Thermo Fisher's global production bases and clinical research service network;
Thermo Fisher PPD Suzhou Laboratory is the first pilot enterprise to join the whitelist of the joint supervision mechanism for special items entering and exiting Suzhou, which can significantly improve customs clearance efficiency for Chinese customers;
Thermo Fisher has partnered with OpenAI to deploy artificial intelligence technology across the entire business chain, with priority given to early drug development and clinical research.
The rapid maturity of China's biotechnology industry is reshaping the global pharmaceutical landscape. With local innovative enterprises committed to innovative drug development and entering the international market, the demand for scalable, integrated R&D and production support is increasingly urgent. For global partners such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, this transformation requires them to develop a comprehensive strategy centered around global coverage and deep localization.
We always pay attention to and listen to our customers' needs, deeply understand their urgent needs before deciding how to invest in support, "said Miguel Faustino, President of Thermo Fisher Scientific China.
Global network accelerates China's innovation
Chinese biopharmaceutical companies are transforming from quick followers to pioneering/optimal drug developers, which poses three core demands for partners: global resource access, accelerated research and development processes, and optimized clinical costs. Thermo Fisher responds precisely to these demands through three strategic acquisitions: the acquisition of CDMO giant Patheon in 2017, the acquisition of global CRO leader PPD in 2021, and the announcement of the acquisition of clinical data management expert Clario in 2025.
Our strategic investments have always been customer-oriented, "Faustino explained." From early drug development and clinical research support to global compliance and commercialization, these integrations enable us to provide truly one-stop end-to-end services to Chinese customers, helping their globalization process
Miguel Faustino, President of Thermo Fisher Scientific China
Introducing drugs to the global market requires the implementation of complex multi regional clinical trials (MRCT). Thermo Fisher's global network, which covers approximately 30 therapeutic fields and has participated in over 3000 clinical trials worldwide in the past five years, provides critical one-stop solutions. With the emergence of new treatment models, the complexity of drug development has increased unprecedentedly, "Faustino pointed out." Therefore, it is crucial to collaborate with partners who have global operational experience and excellent reputation
For small businesses, Thermo Fisher's Accelerator ™ Drug development solutions play a crucial value driving role and have attracted participation from over 120 pharmaceutical companies worldwide. The plan once shortened the Phase I research time of a client by one year, saving over $1 million in total costs, Faustino said as an example.
The characteristic of Accelerator is to integrate the full chain resources within Thermo Fisher to help optimize customer drug design and clinical trial execution. We are well aware that when facing truly innovative therapies, the primary task is to ensure that these new drugs can benefit patients in a timely manner. ”He said.
To reduce the risks associated with trade frictions, Chinese innovative pharmaceutical companies can rely on Thermo Fisher's global production bases. Whether it's small molecule drugs or advanced gene therapies, we can provide our customers with production support that ensures supply chain resilience, "he added.
Deepening the localization development strategy
Thermo Fisher has long been committed to the local development of "co creation and symbiosis" in China, and now its focus is on further improving its local service level to accelerate the new drug research and development process for Chinese customers.
The PPD laboratory located in Suzhou is a typical case. As one of the largest laboratories in the world, Thermo Fisher Scientific provides services for innovative drug development, including central laboratories, biological analysis, biomarker testing, and delivers integrated data that meets international standards. Faustino believes that the success of the laboratory stems from deep localization: adding new features and equipment through continuous customer feedback.
This commitment also extends to regulatory collaboration. In August 2024, PPD became the first pilot enterprise in Suzhou Free Trade Zone to join the white list of the joint supervision mechanism for special goods entering and exiting Suzhou, significantly improving customs clearance efficiency.
Faustino explained, "Through cooperation with the Suzhou government, the clearance speed has been improved by nearly 50%. In the future, we will continue to utilize deep localization and innovative services to provide long-term support to our customers
At the same time, Thermo Fisher is also accelerating the localization of technology. The Orbitrap Astral Zoom mass spectrometer for advanced omics and biopharmaceutical research, released in the United States on June 1st, has been installed and operated at Hangzhou Lianchuan Biotechnology just one month later - Faustino called this speed "incredible". This highlights Thermo Fisher's determination to actively localize its new technology.
Cell therapy presents enormous opportunities in China, and we strongly support our clients' development in this critical field, "he said.
AI fully empowers clinical breakthroughs
Thermo Fisher has recently partnered with OpenAI to deploy artificial intelligence technology across the entire business chain, with priority given to early drug development and clinical research - the most time-consuming and costly stages of new drug development.
From document processing, patient matching to research center screening, AI can have a huge impact and even improve the success rate of trials, "Faustino pointed out." We believe that AI will be the next major breakthrough in clinical trials. ”
AI is equally crucial in the early stages of development. For example, equipment such as Orbitrap mass spectrometer can generate massive amounts of data due to long-term use. Without AI, it's hard to imagine researchers being able to quickly and accurately extract valuable information from such a vast amount of data. ”He continued speaking.
By integrating global scale, deep localization, and cutting-edge AI technology, we help our clients make faster and wiser decisions, accelerating their global research and development processes. ”Faustino said.