Canadian Critical Drug Initiative

The Critical Medicines Production Centre will be a first-of-its-kind facility in Canada with the capability to manufacture critical hospital medicines at high commercial volumes. Designed for both day-to-day production and emergency preparedness, the CMPC can be rapidly mobilized to supply the entire country with essential drugs in a 100-day sprint during a national health crisis. In regular operations, the facility will produce tens of millions of units of products for innovators and industry.

In addition to the fill / finish capacity of the CMPC, API is expanding its current clinical trial capacity for small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients into full commercial capacity, working with chemical intermediate suppliers to create resilient secondary supply chains, leveraging the strong petrochemical base of the Alberta Industrial Heartland.  By ensuring a stable, domestic supply of high-risk and life-saving pharmaceuticals, the CMPC will play a vital role in protecting the health of Canadians and strengthening Canada’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.

The Canadian Critical Drug Initiative will directly create over 350 high-skilled jobs in the life sciences industry, strengthening Canada’s pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing sectors. By attracting investment and retaining intellectual property and talent, the CCDI will deliver long-term economic impact. Companies benefiting from the initiative are expected to generate thousands of additional jobs over the coming decade. 

The initiative will also expand international business opportunities by offering a reliable, domestic alternative to offshore suppliers. With the ability to support commercial-scale production of Canadian-made medicines, the Critical Medicines Production Centre (CMPC) will position Canada as a competitive destination for biomanufacturing investment and pharmaceutical exports.