NEW YORK, Jan 13, 2026, 19:41 ET — After-hours trading
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s pharmaceutical services unit has secured contracts to assist clients shifting drug manufacturing from Europe or Asia back to the U.S., CEO Marc Casper revealed Tuesday. Shares slipped 1.4% to close at $607.08. Casper highlighted a strong push toward reshoring production and operations to the U.S., calling it a boost for 2027 and 2028 as a proposed 100% tariff on imported medicines looms. 1
These remarks are significant as investors seek clearer demand signals from life-science suppliers following a volatile period in biotech and pharma spending. For Thermo Fisher, the shift goes beyond lab instruments and consumables — it hinges on how much work drugmakers outsource and their choices on where to build.
Timing plays a key role. Reshoring—shifting production back to the U.S.—often sparks multi-year project pipelines. Yet, these projects don’t unfold evenly and frequently stretch beyond the timeframe traders expect to see reflected in quarterly results.
At the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Casper linked the reshoring trend to Thermo’s expansion efforts, highlighting last year’s acquisition of Sanofi’s Ridgefield, New Jersey manufacturing plant. He also noted an uptick in biotech funding. Evercore ISI analyst Vijay Kumar called Thermo’s outlook constructive but said the company isn’t raising its 2026 targets. 2
Thermo Fisher is ramping up its focus on automation. The company revealed a new partnership with Nvidia on Monday to develop AI-driven tools and lab automation. The plan: use software and connected devices to slash manual steps in the lab, boosting speed and precision. “Artificial intelligence coupled with laboratory automation will transform how scientific work is performed,” said Gianluca Pettiti, an executive vice president at Thermo Fisher, in the announcement. 3
On the same day, Thermo Fisher announced a partnership with data platform provider TetraScience, focusing on “AI-native” scientific data and smarter workflows for biopharma research and manufacturing. Sean Baumann, a vice president at Thermo Fisher, described leveraging AI as “a natural evolution of that approach.” 4
Management changes are underway. A filing Monday revealed COO Michel Lagarde will exit by March’s end, and EVP Frederick Lowery leaves at February’s close. Thermo Fisher announced Pettiti will step in as president and COO starting March 1. Meanwhile, Michael Shafer is set to take on a broader role, reporting straight to Casper.
Thermo Fisher moves alongside other life-science tools players like Danaher and Agilent, with the sector closely watching biotech funding and pharma outsourcing trends. Even minor shifts in sentiment can send these stocks sharply higher or lower, often without new data.
However, there’s a risk on the downside. Manufacturing moves tied to policy could falter if tariff rules shift or if projects run into delays. Meanwhile, lab suppliers remain vulnerable to order slowdowns should funding markets tighten once more.
Thermo Fisher is set to release its fourth-quarter and full-year results before the market opens on Jan. 29. The company will hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET. Investors will be focused on the 2026 outlook and how quickly reshoring demand alongside new automation partnerships are driving bookings. 5
