Thermo Fisher integration cuts development time by nearly 3 years: Tufts study

A new study from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) finds that integrated CDMO and CRO services can significantly reduce drug development timelines.

The analysis, supported in part by Thermo Fisher Scientific, found that using the company’s Accelerator Drug Development platform from Phase I through Phase III can shorten development by up to 34 months.

Thermo Fisher in the fourth quarter of 2024 introduced its Accelerator Drug Development solution for emerging biotech and large pharma companies, which provides a suite of manufacturing, clinical research, and supply chain services — including small molecule, biologics, and cell and gene therapies — from pre-clinical to commercialization.

Tufts researchers modeled outcomes using data from more than 350 drug development protocols involving over 120 sponsors. The study found that combining services across clinical development, supply, and manufacturing leads to greater program coordination and fewer delays. According to the study, each month of delay in a Phase III trial can result in an estimated $8 million in lost revenue due to deferred market entry.

The financial impact of integration was also evaluated. Researchers found that sponsors using integrated services could see net gains of up to $63 million, with a return on investment as high as 113 to 1. Even partial integration yielded measurable benefits, particularly in later development phases.

“The cost of developing new drugs is exacerbated by operational inefficiencies from the siloing of clinical research, drug manufacturing and supply chain functions. Our findings underscore the strategic importance of integrated services as a driver of value,” Joseph DiMasi, director of economic analysis and research associate professor at Tufts University, said in a statement.

Thermo Fisher contends that its Accelerator Drug Development platform offers a customizable suite of services for small and large molecules, including advanced therapies. The company is highlighting the platform during the 2025 BIO International Convention, held this week in Boston, alongside panels focused on collaboration and sustainable development.

At DCAT Week in March, Jennifer Cannon, president of commercial operations for Thermo Fisher’s pharma services, said the Accelerator Drug Development offering “integrates both our CDMO network, with over 60 sites globally, with our CRO clinical research patient enrollment capabilities.”

To better integrate CDMOs with CROs, Cannon said Thermo Fisher is spending $1.5 million for “digital enablement that will allow better visibility at the site level” by “seeing demand signals that happen with our patient enrollment sites to clinical trial sites.”