The CCDI project will add much-needed capacity to produce and manufacture small molecule drugs, help new drugs be developed, and boost the life sciences industry. Specifically, the funding will be used to:
- Build and equip a new 40,000+ sq ft manufacturing facility that can produce small-molecule therapeutics from active pharmaceutical ingredients to finished product.
- Upgrade the 72,000 square foot Biotechnology Business Development Centre (BBDC).
- Produce up to 4 critical hospital drugs that are high-risk due to market challenges, creating a secure supply of drugs critical to Canadian’s health, and a facility that can be mobilized in the event of a crisis.
- Propel innovations from researchers at the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute and others across Canada that will provide life-saving drugs and preventatives, such as antivirals for Covid-19.
- Create more than 350 jobs in the Edmonton region.
- Increase API’s ability to support more companies through all phases of drug development, from early drug discovery to clinical trials to manufacturing.
Upgrades to the BBDC:
- Anticipated completion: 2024
- Upgrade the 72,000 square foot BBDC to include:
- an additional Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) lab
- core facilities and improvements to enable the incubation of life science scale-up companies
- small molecule chemical synthesis, capable of producing 200 liter batch sizes of small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients
New Manufacturing Facility:
- Anticipated opening: 2026
- Key facilities and equipment available at the manufacturing facility:
- Sterile/aseptic fill/finish facility, capable of an annual throughput of up to 70M doses
- Multipurpose robotic filling line for small to medium volumes ranging from 1ml to 100ml; both liquid and powder fill; over 43,000 vials per hour.
- Rotating autoclave for emulsion products
- 2 – 4 manufacturing suites
- Cold storage and flash freezer, with capacity to handle RNA vaccines.