The CCDI will add much-needed capacity to produce and manufacture critical medicines, fortifying Canada’s health system and accelerating the growth of the life sciences industry.
Specifically, the CCDI will equip Alberta to:
- Build out and equip a new 50,000+ ft² manufacturing facility that will produce critical medicines.
- Upgrade the 72,000 ft² Biotechnology Business Development Centre (BBDC) to incubate more local companies in the scale-up stage.
- Produce critical hospital drugs that are high-risk due to market challenges, creating a secure supply of drugs critical to Canadians’ health, and a facility that can be mobilized in the event of a crisis.
- Propel innovations from researchers across Alberta that will provide life-saving drugs.
- Create more than 350 jobs in Alberta.
- 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 for the upgrades to API’s existing 72,000 ft² facility is 2024. This will add facilities and equipment including:
-
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 completion and opening for API’s new 50,000+ ft² facility is 2026. This will build out key facilities and equipment including:
-
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 to 4 manufacturing suites
-
Cold storage and flash freezer
CCDI News and Updates
See all newsPosted: Aug 30, 2023
Edmonton City Council has approved the lease needed for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative manufacturing facility to be built in the Edmonton Research Park
Read moreabout Edmonton City Council has approved the lease needed for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative manufacturing facility to be built in the Edmonton Research Park
Posted: May 11, 2023
Partnerships made the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative happen
How the CCDI came to be The Canadian Critical Drug Initiative (CCDI) started with…
Read moreabout Partnerships made the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative happen
Posted: Mar 17, 2023
$80.5M federal funding puts API at the heart of national drug strategy
Read moreabout $80.5M federal funding puts API at the heart of national drug strategy
Posted: Dec 1, 2021
The Government of Alberta announces $5.6 million in funding to Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative (CCDI)
Read moreabout The Government of Alberta announces $5.6 million in funding to Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative (CCDI)
Stay in the know
To get the latest news, announcements, and stories about the CCDI, subscribe to our newsletter below.
