Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global life science company, has announced the closure of its DNA manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, less than three years after its opening, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. The move, which will lead to the loss of over 70 local jobs, reflects a strategic adjustment in response to changing market demand.
The company’s expansion in July 2021, which saw the establishment of a 67,000 square foot plasmid manufacturing facility near its existing Carlsbad campus, was driven by the aim to meet the growing global demand for cell, gene and mRNA-based therapies. At the time, Thermo Fisher anticipated adding more than 150 local jobs as manufacturing scaled up.
However, shifting market dynamics have prompted the company to reassess its manufacturing workforce needs. According to the report, Thermo Fisher cites changes in demand as the primary reason for the closure of the Carlsbad facility, emphasizing its commitment to its Advanced Therapies business and services for pharmaceutical customers.
The closure adds to previous rounds of layoffs in the area, with hundreds of employees affected. Thermo Fisher conducted multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023, primarily at locations associated with COVID-19 test manufacturing, leading to the shuttering of three facilities. Following these closures, the company’s local presence in the region contracted to its remaining offices at Van Allen Way in Carlsbad.
The layoffs at the Carlsbad facility will begin in late May and continue through the end of June.
Thermo Fisher Scientific, headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, employs approximately 122,000 people worldwide, as of its most recent financial filing in December 2023. While the closure of the Carlsbad facility marks a strategic shift for the company, its commitment to serving its pharmaceutical customers remains unchanged.
