API Stories
CMPC Major Milestone: Factory Acceptance Tests Completed for Four Key Equipment
Over the past few months, our team has successfully completed Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) for four major systems at the CMPC, marking a major milestone toward the facility’s operational readiness ahead of its anticipated 2026 opening.
Our Technical Operations team, led by VP, Hans Bauer and Engineering Managers, Shiva Chaudhury and Ravinder Sekhon, headed to Italy to conduct the FATs in collaboration with leading equipment manufacturers—Fedegari, Antares, Steriline and Romaco. The on-site evaluations ensured that each system met stringent design, performance and quality standards before shipment to the CMPC.
The successful testing covered the four core systems that will form the backbone of sterile manufacturing at the facility: the Autoclave, Washer, and Sterilizer; the Automated Vial Inspection Machine; the Robotic Fill-and-Finish Line; and the Labeller and Packaging Line.
With this milestone, we’re now moving confidently into the next phase, including the delivery, installation, Site Acceptance Test (SAT) and qualification stages.
Learn more about the CMPCConnecting with Leaders at National Defence Headquarters
During a recent trip to Ottawa, our CEO, Andrew MacIsaac, visited the National Defence Headquarters at Carling, where he met with dedicated military leaders and civil servants who share a deep commitment to strengthening Canada’s defence capabilities.
As we reflect on the past five years of building the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative (CCDI), it’s clear that the initiative has been shaped by strong partnerships and ongoing collaboration. These relationships continue to highlight the real-world impact that innovative defence and preparedness efforts can deliver.
The discussions and insights shared during this visit further underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration as we continue advancing the CCDI and supporting Canada’s long-term resilience.
API at CPHI Frankfurt: Showcasing In-House Capabilities on the Global Stage
Our Director of Business Development, Shawn Couch and VP of Technical Operations, Hans Bauer, recently attended CPHI Frankfurt—one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical events, to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
At the event, we showcased our in-house CRO and CDMO services, which support life sciences innovators from early discovery through to clinical stages and commercialization.
We were pleased to connect with leading life sciences innovators and represent Alberta’s growing momentum in life sciences on the global stage—driven by world-class talent, leading institutions and a strong innovation ecosystem.
Learn more about our CRO & CDMO capabilitiesWelcoming IHE at API
We are pleased to share that the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) has joined us as the newest tenant in our API office at Enterprise Square!
Over the years, we have partnered with IHE to help advance evidence-based innovation across Alberta’s life sciences sector. “API and IHE have a long history, with IHE supporting market headroom analysis for companies we work with and we’re a strong proponent of the idea that innovation only succeeds with evaluation.” – Andrew MacIsaac, CEO at API.
IHE’s presence in our space marks an exciting step forward in our shared mission to strengthen Alberta’s life sciences ecosystem! We look forward to collaborating more closely together as we support more life sciences companies.
Events
- Nov. 19: Founders & Funders: Scaling Tech Ventures in Alberta (Calgary)
- Nov. 20: Movement51 Founder Lab Demo Day (Calgary)
- Nov. 20-21: Canada HealthTech Innovation Symposium 2025 (Calgary)
- Nov. 21: The Social Innovator CEO Roundtable (Calgary)
- Dec. 10: Bioeconomy Guild Holiday Social – December 2025 (Edmonton)
Life Sciences & Innovation News
- Future Fields was highlighted by Fillmore Construction for the role it had in building Future Fields’s pilot plant, where it now uses common fruit flies as bioreactors in its EntoEngine platform.
- NanoTess has partnered with embecta to increase community access to NanoSALV Catalytic wound care products at retail pharmacies across Canada.
- OncoHelix‘s Director of Molecular Diagnostics, Rehan Faridi, presented findings on decentralized liquid biopsy testing using MSK-ACCESS with SOPHiA DDM at the International Society of Liquid Biopsy. The company has processed more than 300 liquid biopsy samples in the past 10 months, with the goal of advancing access to precision oncology and decentralized cancer diagnostics.
- OncoHelix has partnered with Desjardins Insurance to offer a group benefits solution for cancer, from prevention to return to work.
- Optima Living and the University of Alberta have launched a partnership to advance dementia care and healthy aging for seniors through research and enhanced care models. The partnership builds on Optima Living’s Spark Memory Living program, which originated at Aster Gardens in Sherwood Park and focuses on person-centred memory care.
- Voyageur Pharmaceuticals announced a non-exclusive distribution agreement with PHALANX, a pharmaceutical distributor in Mexico. This partnership enables the registration and distribution of Voyageur’s barium contrast media products through PHALANX’s healthcare network, expanding access to imaging solutions in Latin America.
- Alberta Innovates and GlycoNet will jointly invest $2 million over three years to support Alberta-led glycomics research projects. The funding is aimed at commercializing new classes of vaccines, precision diagnostics, and targeted therapies.
- Amii is partnering with Mobia Health Innovations to integrate artificial intelligence into its accessNavigator platform. It aims to enable rapid configuration of clinical guidelines and dynamically adopt them into pathway navigation, optimizing waitlists and improving access to healthcare across Canada.
- BioAlberta has released its Report to the Community for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, highlighting progress, partnerships, and programs that are shaping Alberta’s life sciences ecosystem.
- Health Cities shared that the Diabetes Project is advancing new approaches to improve health outcomes and access to equitable health care for Albertans at risk of or living with type 2 diabetes. The initiative focuses on six key areas, supporting effective management, and working to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
- The Institute of Health Economics released a new report on how it uses generative artificial intelligence.
- A University of Alberta research team has published findings regarding “super-kidneys” (augmented renal clearance) in neurocritical care patients, whose kidneys eliminate drugs too quickly, making standard dosages ineffective. The multi-year prospective multicentre study aims to identify, diagnose, and guide dosing for augmented renal clearance in neurocritical care, with the goal of translating these findings into real-world clinical tools and dosing guidelines.
- The University of Alberta launched the Alberta Cryo-EM Facility, the first of its kind in Alberta. According to Matthias Götte of Striving for Pandemic Preparedness — The Alberta Research Consortium, the facility will allow scientists to view the smallest structures of viruses, accelerating the development of countermeasures to disease, and allowing the design of antiviral and cancer drugs.
- University of Alberta professor David Wishart has received the 2025 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. Wishart founded the Metabolomics Innovation Centre, with a branch located at the university, in 2011. He was recognized for his leadership in the field of metabolomics over the last 30 years.
- The University of Calgary received more than $4.7 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund for 19 research projects.
- The University of Calgary‘s Faculty of Nursing created the Health Systems Transformation Initiative to involve nurses in decision-making processes. HIVE relies on frontline feedback to improve policies and procedures, benefiting both nurses and patients.
- Kazim Haider, a doctoral student at the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary, is developing a low-cost, pain-free glucose-monitoring patch using microneedles, in response to challenges faced by his father who had diabetes.
- The University of Calgary‘s Cumming School of Medicine will establish the Nelson Precision Medicine and Learning Health System Centre for Innovation thanks to a $12-million gift from alumna Susan Nelson. The centre will establish a province-wide data platform that securely links anonymized diagnostic tests with laboratory, medication, and health outcomes data.
- The Alberta Cancer Foundation announced Arthur Child Innovation Catalyst Grant Competition funding to several University of Calgary researchers for cancer research projects.
- The University Hospital Foundation completed funding for a photon-counting CT scanner for the University of Alberta Hospital and the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, thanks to a $1.5-million donation from Suncor. The new technology, the first of its kind in Alberta, will provide faster scan times, five times higher image resolution, and 60% lower radiation exposure.