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.

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