WALTHAM, Mass.– New research from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) highlights how Thermo Fisher Scientific’s integrated drug development services can significantly shorten the time it takes to bring new therapies to patients. The study shows that Thermo Fisher’s Accelerator™ Drug Development 360° platform—combining contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and clinical research organization (CRO) services—can reduce Phase I-III clinical development timelines by as much as 34 months.
The findings mark a major development for biotech and biopharma companies that face rising drug development costs, regulatory hurdles, and pressure to accelerate time-to-market. Traditionally, drug developers rely on multiple external partners for manufacturing, clinical trials, and supply logistics—an approach that often introduces delays and inefficiencies. According to the study, each month of delay in Phase III trials can cost companies up to $8 million in lost revenue.
Tufts CSDD researchers found that using a fully integrated CDMO/CRO model can not only speed up drug development but also deliver a strong financial return. Companies adopting Thermo Fisher’s integrated services saw potential net financial benefits of up to $63 million—representing a return on investment of up to 113 times the initial cost.
“The opportunity to deliver life-saving therapies faster is real and measurable,” said Mike Shafer, executive vice president and president of Biopharma Services at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Accelerator Drug Development offers customizable, end-to-end solutions that help sponsors navigate the complex clinical and manufacturing landscape more efficiently.”
The study analyzed multiple development scenarios, finding that even partial integration—particularly in later-phase clinical trials—yielded notable time and cost savings. The researchers credited benefits such as centralized oversight, streamlined communication, and cross-functional planning for the improvements.
“The findings provide a compelling case for single-vendor integration across manufacturing and clinical services,” said Dr. Joseph DiMasi, lead author of the study and director of economic analysis at Tufts CSDD. “Breaking down operational silos can help mitigate delays and reduce the financial burden of drug development.”
Thermo Fisher will showcase its Accelerator platform and broader biopharma solutions at the 2025 BIO International Convention in Boston from June 16–19 (booth #2953). Company leaders will also join panel discussions focused on sustainability, innovation, and collaborative strategies for improving drug development timelines.
