Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, acquired Brammer Bio, a leader in viral vector manufacturing for gene and cell therapies, for $1.7bn in cash from Ampersand Capital. Upon completion, Brammer Bio will become part of Thermo Fisher's pharma services business within its Laboratory Products and Services Segment. "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. "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. The transaction is perfectly aligned with our Mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer."