BIOVECTRA Starts Construction on its Charlottetown mRNA Biomanufacturing Centre

Posted on by BIOVECTRA

 

Charlottetown, P.E.I. (April 14, 2022) – BIOVECTRA broke ground today, with help from provincial and federal officials, on a cutting-edge facility that will manufacture mRNA vaccines and therapeutics starting in 2023.

BIOVECTRA’s mRNA Vaccine and Biomanufacturing Centre will add 36,000 square feet to its existing Charlottetown campus and, when operational, the cGMP facility will be able produce 160 million doses of mRNA vaccine and fill/finish 70 million final vaccine doses per year for commercial distribution.

“Today is the tangible beginning to a very exciting future for our company,” explains Oliver Technow, CEO BIOVECTRA. “This biomanufacturing centre is the cornerstone of BIOVECTRA’s expansion plans for an end-to-end solution to produce mRNA vaccines and therapies.”

“We appreciate the support from all levels of government as well as the interest this expansion has generated both within our local communities and throughout North America,” added Mr. Technow.

The company previously announced its $79.6 million expansion of its business to produce mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, with the Government of Canada contributing $39.8 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund and a $10 million investment from the Province of Prince Edward Island back in November 2021. At least 125 new highly skilled jobs and 220 Co-op placements will be created in both Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

“BIOVECTRA is a true leader in bioscience research and innovation, and we’re so proud they call the east coast home,” said Premier Dennis King.

The expansion also includes completing a Single-Use Clinical Scale Microbial Suite in Windsor, Nova Scotia this summer (2022), as well as opening a research and development facility in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The addition to BIOVECTRA’s Windsor site supports the development and production of plasmid DNA, the key ingredient to manufacture mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. BIOVECTRA will also start to develop and manufacture nucleic acids and add additional capacity for advancing microbial protein and other Biotherapeutics via microbial fermentation.

“As a Canadian company, BIOVECTRA is honoured to help our country face future pandemics, while also creating the versatile technology platforms that can help clients deliver the treatments that will become the next generation of patient care,” explained Mr. Technow.

 

Helpful Links
www.biovectra.com
BioVectra mRNA Vaccine and Bio-manufacturing Facility Announced

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, small molecules, bioreagents, and pDNA and MRNA manufacturing.  Flexibility, creativity, process optimization and compliance are at the heart of our method. With more than 50 years of experience, 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.

 

Media Contact
Bobbi Jo Walker
Director, Corporate Communication
BIOVECTRA
(902) 218-7649
[email protected]

 

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  • 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