API & the University of Alberta Break Ground on Canada’s Largest Manufacturing Facility for Critical Medicines
Construction is set to begin on a crucial pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Edmonton Research Park that will provide Canadians with access to a stable supply of high-demand, critical drugs at the most difficult of times.
A result of a collaboration between Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API) and the University of Alberta’s Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute, the Critical Medicines Production Centre (CMPC) is the cornerstone of the $200- million Canadian Critical Drug Initiative (CCDI) — a strategy devised in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to secure supply chain resilience and solidify Alberta’s and Canada’s position as a pharmaceutical leader.
Officially unveiled at today’s groundbreaking ceremony, the 83,000+ sq-ft facility will be unique in Canada with its ability to produce more than 70 million doses of a product a year and a critical sprint capacity to fill the needs of Canada in under 100 days. Benefits include improved patient access to needed medicines, enhanced hospital operations, and the addition of much-needed capacity to produce and manufacture therapeutic drugs here at home. One of the first products of the facility, Propofol, is a critical hospital drug. Shortages of Propofol can lead to surgery cancellations and delays.
With support from all orders of government, CCDI is a significant contributor to Alberta’s burgeoning biomanufacturing and life sciences sector, creating more than 350 jobs in Alberta and notable additional employment in spin-off industries. Investment includes $80.5 million in federal funding through PrairiesCan, $17.6 million from the Government of Alberta, and City of Edmonton approval of the lease required to build the CMPC in the Edmonton Research Park.
Construction for the CMPC is set to be completed by 2026. See renderings courtesy of START Architecture and CRB Consulting Engineers, Inc. here.
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