AstraZeneca invests in Ontario’s life sciences sector

MISSISSAUGA — AstraZeneca is bringing 500 scientific and high-tech jobs to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in an expansion of its research footprint in Canada. The investment will contribute to AstraZeneca’s Research & Development Hub (R&D) in Mississauga, which focuses on leading global clinical studies in areas including breast, lung and prostate cancer, COVID-19, and chronic kidney disease. It also includes the creation of a new Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease Development Hub, which focuses on rare disease research.

“Our investment in the AstraZeneca R&D Hub and Alexion Development Hub will play a critical role in the development of new and innovative medicines aimed at treating, preventing and, in the future, potentially even curing complex diseases like cancer and rare diseases,” said Kiersten Combs, President, AstraZeneca Canada. “We’re pleased to see the steps that Governments at both the provincial and federal level have taken to create a more supportive environment for the biopharmaceutical industry, and although we know there is more work to do, we look forward to our continued collaboration to help improve the time for Canadian patients to access new medicines and build a more sustainable and resilient healthcare system.”

The Mississauga-based R&D Hub has doubled in size since 2019 and is currently leading over 120 oncology and biopharmaceutical global clinical studies, involving patients in 50+ countries.

“To deliver better healthcare, it’s important to invest in our public, universal system – and it’s also important to continue rebuilding our biomanufacturing capacity and investing in research and development,” said Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. “That’s exactly why we’re here today: we’re positioning Canada as a world leader in the sector, delivering better health outcomes for Canadians, and creating good jobs now and into the future.”