Apr 12, 2018 | Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), BioVectra, News
Extensive facility renovation, new equipment, assists life sciences firm in creating jobs, growing regional economy
April 12, 2018 – Windsor, NS – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Canada is a country of innovators. Curiosity, creativity and a collaborative spirit are what lead to the kinds of innovations and technologies that improve our daily lives and drive our economy, and our country, forward. That is why the Government of Canada is investing $5,000,000 in BioVectra Inc. to help the Charlottetown-based biotechnology and pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing company expand its operations to Nova Scotia. This will enable the firm to grow, create additional highly skilled positions and help build sustained economic prosperity in Atlantic Canada.
The funding was announced today by the Honourable Scott Brison, Secretary of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency(ACOA). The repayable contribution is being made through ACOA’s Business Development Program, which helps small and medium-sized enterprises expand and modernize to improve competitiveness.
BioVectra will use the assistance to complete major renovations at its Windsor facility and to purchase new equipment. This will allow the company to increase its capacity to develop and manufacture biologic drug substances for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. These materials are used in the creation of products to treat cancer, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, arthritis, and many other serious illnesses.
The project will create 28 full-time positions, and by 2020, when the plant is fully operational, it is expected that more than double that number of people will be employed there.
This investment builds on commitments made by the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic Provinces to drive economic growth in the region through the Atlantic Growth Strategy, which supports strategic investments in initiatives that build on the region’s competitive advantages, such as its strong export potential, growing innovation network, and skilled workforce.
Quotes
“Science and technology – along with stronger international trade – are rapidly changing the way Canadians live and work, bringing new challenges and more opportunities. Investing in BioVectra Inc., an industry-leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing firm, will help strengthen and grow the middle class, and lay a more solid foundation for the next generations of Canadians.”
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA
“The jobs of the future depend on Canadians’ ability to continue to adapt, innovate, and maintain our competitive edge in the fast-paced and increasingly global economy. BioVectra is already known worldwide for its expertise in developing and producing active pharmaceutical ingredients used in products that treat life-threatening diseases. This modern, 50,000 square-foot facility will increase the company’s manufacturing capacity by 40 per cent and allow BioVectra to become a rare one-stop shop for its global biotech and pharmaceutical customers.”
– The Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants
“As an integral part and leader within the vibrant Atlantic Canadian BioScience cluster, we consider ourselves fortunate to operate in a supportive ecosystem where substantial emphasis is placed on talent, skills and innovation. The contribution from ACOA’s Business Development program will enable BioVectra to continue to thrive, create highly skilled jobs in Atlantic Canada, and help solidify Canadian leadership within the very competitive global markets we participate in.”
– Oliver Technow, President, BioVectra Inc.
Quick facts
- BioVectra Inc., headquartered in Charlottetown, P.E.I., has more than 300 employees, and will initially add another 28 jobs in Windsor. The company’s four locations – three in Charlottetown and one in Windsor – total approximately 110,000 square feet.
- BioVectra’s predecessor, Diagnostic Chemicals Ltd. (DCL), was founded in 1970 by Dr. Regis Duffy, then a UPEI chemistry professor, who began producing small amounts of a specialty chemical under contract to a U.S. firm.
- Since its inception, BioVectra, which is part of the active pharmaceutical ingredient life cycle from early clinical development to commercial supply, has created hundreds of products used on the market today.
Contacts
Alex Smith
Director of Communications and Outreach
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Phone: 902-426-9417 / 902-830-3839 (cell)
E-mail: [email protected]
Jordan MacGregor
Communications and Marketing Manager
BioVectra Inc.
Phone: 902-566-9116 ext 6376
E-Mail: [email protected]]]>
Dec 14, 2017 | BioVectra
About Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines that provide unique and meaningful advantages to people with kidney disease. The Keryx team consists of approximately 200 committed people working with passion to advance the care of people with this complex disease. This dedication has resulted in two FDA-approved indications for Keryx’s first medicine, Auryxia® (ferric citrate) tablets. For more information about Keryx, please visit www.keryx.com.
About BioVectra
BioVectra is a CDMO that serves pharmaceutical and biotech companies with full-service cGMP outsourcing solutions for intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients. An innovative and reliable service partner with a strong regulatory history, BioVectra has over 45 years of experience specializing in: GMP Microbial Fermentation & Purification Complex Chemistry Process & Analytical Development
For more information about BioVectra, please visit www.biovectra.com.
Media Contact
Jordan MacGregor
Marketing and Communications Manager
[email protected]
902-566-9116 ext. 6376
www.biovectra.com]]>
Oct 19, 2017 | BIOPORT ATLANTIC, BioVectra, News, STI, THE BIOINNOVATION CHALLENGE
See original Entrevestor article here
By: Peter Moreira
Delegates to BioPort 2017 on Wednesday were told of the impact of recent life sciences innovation in Atlantic Canada and encouraged to embrace further change.
The impact so far is found in the fact that $1 billion has flowed into Atlantic Canada in the last six years from exits by companies in the life sciences and digital health space, and follow-on investment by the companies that bought them.
BioPort is the annual get-together for life sciences entrepreneurs and innovators in the region, and the gathering this year celebrated the growth of biotech in the region, especially in New Brunswick. Pfera Inc., the winner of the BioInnovation Challenge, the conference’s $45,000 pitching competition, is from New Brunswick, as are Zecken Laboratories and Tieös Pharmaceuticals Inc., the two other finalists in the event. (Read our full report on the BioInnovation Challenge.)
The delegates were told to embrace further innovations, especially in overall healthcare.
Peter Vaughan, Chair of Canada Health Infoway and Nova Scotia’s former Deputy Health Minister, urged the delegates to embrace current innovations in healthcare – not just futuristic technologies on the horizon but products that are on the market now.
For example, he cited such companies as Babylon Healthcare in the U.K. and the Mercy Virtual in St. Louis as organizations that are cutting costs and meeting patient requirements through online and video consultations, often including drug delivery.
Patient surveys show that citizens want modern medical processes like e-prescriptions, online access to their medical records and timely medical consultations – goals met by groups like Babylon and Mercy. These organizations also meet the needs of government, as provinces spend upwards of 40 percent of their budgets on healthcare, only to find that 30 percent of healthcare spending has no value, said Vaughan.
“You’re starting to get a picture of what’s available in the present,” said Vaughan. “So how do we take these things and change the one thing that’s on everyone’s mind – access to healthcare?”
Vaughan said the future of healthcare is found in data because the analysis of vast reams of healthcare data reveals patterns that can predict severe health problems. This data can signal a problem is imminent so measures can be taken to prevent a crisis. Multinationals like Google, Apple and Amazon are now analyzing such data in the cloud, he said, but there is an opportunity for public, open data projects that could benefit everyone. He called on the Atlantic Provinces to come together to pioneer such a project with the data from its 2.2 million residents.
“We in this country have the opportunity to produce a publicly funded ecosystem,” he told the assembled innovators. “This is the opportunity we face in Atlantic Canada. We can be that industry and then you can have access to more information than you ever imagined.”
Scott Moffitt, Executive Director of BioNova, said in an interview there is evidence the life sciences segment in the region is evolving as exits in the space have created about $1 billion in investment.
The exits of the past few years in the life sciences and digital health segments have included the sale of Ocean Nutrition Canada of Dartmouth for $540 million, BioVectra of Charlottetown for $100 million, and STI Technologies of Halifax, reportedly for more than $200 million. Moffitt said his tally also included other exits and investments that the purchasing companies made after the purchases closed.
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