Global medical technology firm Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened its new production facility in Lenexa, Kansas, to manufacture viral transport media (VTM) for Covid-19 sample collection.
Built with an investment of $40m, the new facility has added 120,000ft2 of manufacturing capacity to the company, apart from creating more than 300 new full-time jobs.
The company has also announced to continue expanding the site to meet the growing demand for Covid-19 testing.
Recently, the company has also introduced a new automated and real-time PCR solution to address the rising global demand for Covid-19 testing.
Thermo Fisher received US government contract for Covid-19 sample collection VTM
In early May 2020, Thermo Fisher has received a contract from the US government to deliver substantial quantity of highly specialized VTM for Covid-19 sample collection.
The company said that VTM is to be manufactured and dispensed into tubes in an aseptic environment, to ensure accuracy of Covid-19 test results.
VTM dispensed into plastic tubes is said to ensure that the sample collected from a Covid-19 nose swab maintains viability during its shipping to a lab for testing.
Thermo Fisher has advanced the production at Lenexa, which started production in early July, from 50,000 units per week to currently more than 8 million per week, to meet increased demand for VTM.
US Senator Jerry Moran said: “Widespread testing is a necessary component to keep the American economy running safely. Thermo Fisher has stepped up to produce additional test tubes to help meet the national demand for COVID-19 testing and has created 300 new jobs by expanding its manufacturing base in Lenexa.
“Kansans never fail to do their part in our country’s time of need, and this is no different. Thermo Fisher’s ability to manufacture test tubes and significantly increase production is important for making certain Americans can feel secure in their health and safely return to work.”
