BIOVECTRA mRNA Vaccine and Bio-manufacturing Facility Announced

Posted on by BIOVECTRA

 

Charlottetown, P.E.I. (November 18, 2021) – BIOVECTRA today announced plans for the development of a state-of-the-art facility specializing in the production and manufacturing of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics – one of the first of its kind in Canada. This exciting new capability will result from a joint private-public investment made by BIOVECTRA and the federal and provincial governments who are contributing $39.8 million and $10 million respectively to the total project cost of $79.6 million in support of the BIOVECTRA mRNA Vaccine and Bio-manufacturing facility.

BIOVECTRA CEO Oliver Technow, was joined earlier today at the company’s Charlottetown headquarters by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island to announce support for this new domestic capability.

“BIOVECTRA is well poised to make the production of mRNA therapeutics in our country a reality. As a leading Canadian CDMO, with more than 50 years of expertise, we have a proven record of pushing the boundaries of our capabilities to meet our global customers’ challenges. This expansion is a significant yet natural evolution for us,” said Oliver Technow, CEO, BIOVECTRA.

“Vaccines save lives, and COVID-19 vaccines are helping us start getting back to normal. BIOVECTRA’s plan to establish a state-of-the-art vaccine facility here in Prince Edward Island, and upgrade their existing facilities in Nova Scotia, is a key move that supports our strategy to grow a strong, competitive domestic life sciences sector with cutting-edge biomanufacturing capabilities. This will make sure Canada is prepared for future pandemics and other health emergencies, strengthen our economy and create good jobs here in Atlantic Canada,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

“BIOVECTRA is a true leader in bioscience, with strong relationships in the pharmaceutical industry, and we’re proud they call the East Coast home. A new state-of-the-art facility right here in Prince Edward Island means so many great things for our province. It means good jobs for Islanders, readiness for future health emergencies and an enhanced reputation for our province as a leader in bioscience research and innovation. Investing in this new facility is a step in the right direction as we move forward in strengthening our provincial economy and growing our sectors,” said the Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island.

Project Recap:

  • capability to develop and manufacture nucleic acids, recombinant proteins, and other therapeutics expressed via microbial fermentation
  • production of up to 160 million doses of a mRNA vaccine per year
  • capacity to prepare and package 70 million fill finish doses per year for commercial distribution
  • creation of research partnerships and new development opportunities for professionals in the Life Sciences and bio-manufacturing sector, including the addition of 125 new positions in PEI and NS and up to 225 co-op terms.

Over the past several years, BIOVECTRA has expanded its business to develop and produce commercial scale biotherapeutics, at its accredited facility in Windsor, Nova Scotia. It is one of five BIOVECTRA sites, located in Atlantic Canada. As part of this most recent investment, the Windsor site will also see an expansion to support the development and production of plasmid DNA, the key ingredient to manufacture mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. The PEI bio-manufacturing facility will include fill finish capabilities.

“At BIOVECTRA, we aim to be a global leader, bringing Canadian innovation to the center stage of biopharmaceutical manufacturing,” said Technow. “We understand our obligation to not just manufacture mRNA, pDNA, and provide an end-to-end manufacturing solution domestically, but to also demonstrate to the world that innovation and talent lives here in Atlantic Canada.”

Helpful Links
www.biovectra.com

https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2021/11/government-of-canada-makes-major-investment-inatlantic-canadas-biomanufacturing-sector.html

About BIOVECTRA
BIOVECTRA is a global biotech and pharmaceutical CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) that specializes in clinical-to-commercial scale production capabilities for: biologics, bioreagents, fermented small molecules, synthetic small molecules, and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Flexibility, creativity, process optimization and compliance are at the heart of our method. With over 550 employees and cGMP facilities in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, Canada we assure our programs advance on time and with the highest quality outcomes.

SEO plus – Test

  • 20+ years at GSK, leading R&D activities on multiple vaccine programs
  • Recently held positions in industry include: Senior Director (Function Head), Protein Biochemistry; Director, Antigen Design & Prototype Production; and, Associate Director, Antigen Design and Protein Characterization.
  • Key areas of expertise are:
    • Process development of protein Biologics/Recombinant Antigens
    • Recombinant protein expression (mammalian, insect, yeast, bacterial)
    • Production/design of Viral Vectors, mRNA vaccines, Bacterial outer membrane vesicles
    • Protein Engineering and Structural Biology
    • Defining quality attributes, biophysical characterization of proteins, and analytical strategy
  • Post graduate degrees in Functional Genomics (Université Laval) and Bioinformatics (MIT); M. Sc. Microbiology and Immunology (Laval).
  • 25+ Patent & 5 Scientific Publications

Normand Blais – Senior Director Development & Innovation, Biologics

  • 20+ years at GSK, leading R&D activities on multiple vaccine programs
  • Recently held positions in industry include: Senior Director (Function Head), Protein Biochemistry; Director, Antigen Design & Prototype Production; and, Associate Director, Antigen Design and Protein Characterization.
  • Key areas of expertise are:
    • Process development of protein Biologics/Recombinant Antigens
    • Recombinant protein expression (mammalian, insect, yeast, bacterial)
    • Production/design of Viral Vectors, mRNA vaccines, Bacterial outer membrane vesicles
    • Protein Engineering and Structural Biology
    • Defining quality attributes, biophysical characterization of proteins, and analytical strategy
  • Post graduate degrees in Functional Genomics (Université Laval) and Bioinformatics (MIT); M. Sc. Microbiology and Immunology (Laval).
  • 25+ Patent & 5 Scientific Publications

Oliver Technow - Chief Executive Officer

  • Industry Master Degree from Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce, Frankfurt Germany.
  • More than 20 years of global pharmaceutical industry experience.
  • Held numerous leadership positions in commercial development, marketing and brand management, and lifecycle management and has extensive product launch and market access expertise in Europe and North America.
  • In 1997, joined Eisai GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany and in 2002, was appointed Director, CNS Business Unit; in 2006, was appointed Vice President, Head of Global Marketing for Eisai Inc. in Woodcliff Lake, NJ;  in 2011, was appointed Vice President, Established Products Business Unit; in 2013, was appointed President & General Manager for Eisai Limited in Mississauga, ON.
  • Appointed President of BIOVECTRA Inc., December 10, 2015.
  • Board Director for BIOTECanada
  • Member of the Steering Council of Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC)
  • In 2017, appointed to the Government of Canada’s Health/Bio-sciences Strategic Economic Table
  • In November 2019, promoted to Chief Executive Officer at BIOVECTRA
  • In June 2020, named new Chair of PEI BioAlliance Board of Directors