Cutting-edge Advanced Vaccine Facility to Make Canada Centre of Health Innovation

Nearly 1,250 Middle-Class Jobs will be Maintained or Created Through Combined $70M Government Investment.

Today, the governments of Canada and Ontario announced an investment of up to $70 million towards Sanofi Pasteur Limited’s $500-million project to establish one of the most advanced vaccine manufacturing facilities in the world.

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Honourable Steven Del Duca, Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Growth, and Monte Kwinter, MPP for York-Centre, made the announcement today at the site of the new facility in Toronto.

The new 150,000-square-foot Bulk Biologics Facility, at the Connaught Campus in Toronto, will be the first of its kind. The company will double the output of its life-saving vaccines by 2023 and launch the Canadian researched and developed pertussis – or whooping cough – vaccine into over 30 new international markets, protecting children and families in Canada and all over the world.

Through this project, nearly 1,250 jobs will be created or maintained.

Sanofi Pasteur is the vaccines division of Sanofi, one of the world’s leading healthcare companies and vaccine manufacturers globally, and produces critical vaccines to prevent infectious diseases.

QUICK FACTS

The Bulk Biologics Facility is expected to be operational in 2023.
The Toronto-based pharmaceutical manufacturer is ranked in Canada’s top 30 corporate R&D spenders for 2016.
The FedDev Ontario contribution of $20 million is a repayable contribution through the Advanced Manufacturing Fund. The Government of Ontario is investing $50 million through the Jobs and Prosperity Fund.
The Greater Toronto Area is home to one of North America’s largest combined life sciences sectors, with over 1,400 companies employing more than 37,000 people.
Sanofi employs more than 100,000 people globally in 100 countries. Sanofi entities in Canada employ close to 1,900 people, with almost 80 percent of employment related to vaccine business.
In 2016, Canada’s pharmaceutical manufacturing industry generated $10 billion in domestic production and employed close to 30,000 people and continues to be an important driver of Canada’s innovation economy.
In 2016, Sanofi invested $130 million into R&D in Canada, creating jobs, business, and opportunities across the country.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

QUOTES

“The Government of Canada is proud to support Canada’s life sciences sector and the adoption of new, innovative manufacturing technologies. This project with Sanofi Pasteur will mean well-paying, middle-class jobs for Canadians, but more importantly, it will protect and improve the health of our families and children. This is a real example of innovation investment improving the quality of life for Canadians.”
— The Honourable Navdeep Bains, , Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“I am thrilled Sanofi Pasteur is expanding significantly in Ontario. The facility is a critical piece of our new economy that will drive innovation and grow our global exports – a testament to Ontario’s impressive talent, dynamic business climate and vibrant innovation ecosystem. Today’s announcement is great news for the future of healthcare and for Ontario’s economy and prosperity.”
— Steven Del Duca, Minister of Economic Development and Growth

“Our federal investment in the Bulk Biologics Facility project will allow Sanofi Pasteur to double its output of vaccines to protect children and families across the globe. I am pleased that Sanofi chose to expand in Toronto, which will create and maintain highly-skilled manufacturing and R&D jobs in this region.”
— Michael Levitt, Member of Parliament for York Centre

“Our government understands the importance and significance of Sanofi’s investment in Toronto. The expanded facility will not only bring great jobs here but will also act as an anchor for the vitally important life sciences sector for generations to come. It is a boon for both the city and the province to partner with an innovative and globally respected company.”
— Monte Kwinter, MPP for York-Centre

“Canada has a strong legacy in the research and development of vaccines. With this investment, Sanofi is renewing our longstanding commitment to making Canada central in our effort to protect and improve human health across the globe. Vaccines save three million lives every year and this new facility will take us one step closer to a world where no one suffers or dies from a vaccine-preventable disease.”
— David Loew, President and Head of Sanofi Pasteur