Minister Champagne announces completion of construction on Biologics Manufacturing Centre

The National Research Council of Canada’s Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Montréal. (CNW Group/National Research Council Canada)

MONTRÉAL — On June 22, François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the completion of construction of the new Biologics Manufacturing Centre on the National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) Royalmount site in Montréal, Québec. The construction phase of this project has been completed on budget and ahead of schedule.

Once fully licensed and operational, the Biologics Manufacturing Centre will have full end-to-end manufacturing capabilities. With approximately 5,400 square metres (58,000 square feet) of space, it will have a production capacity of approximately 24 million doses of a vaccine per year, varying based on the specific vaccine requirements.

Installation of critical equipment continues at the Biologics Manufacturing Centre. A number of further steps are still required for Health Canada to license the facility, enabling the production of vaccines for human use.

The NRC is continuing to work with Novavax, Inc. to produce their COVID-19 vaccine at the Biologics Manufacturing Centre once both the vaccine candidate and the facility receive Health Canada approvals.

“The health and safety of Canadians have always been our top priority. We are proud to deliver this project for Canadians, which will ensure Canada is equipped with the capacity to produce vaccines for whatever the future may hold. Novavax choosing to produce their vaccine here in Montréal shows that, with the right investments, Canada can be a destination of choice for biomanufacturing. This project will also support the continued development and growth of Canada’s vibrant life sciences industry.” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.