Question Period Note: Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences in Canada

What steps is the Government of Canada taking to manufacture vaccines and therapies domestically?

• The Government of Canada’s top priority is protecting the health and safety of Canadians.

• In Budget 2023, the government reiterated its commitment to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the development and production of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic tools. Budget 2023 commits to consulting with Canadian and international experts to determine the optimal approach for organizing readiness efforts for the years ahead.

• Since 2020, the government invested $2.1 billion in 37 health projects and allocated $291 million for labs, trials, and research hubs, securing Canada's future health.

Budget 2021 provided investments to help build Canada’s talent pipeline and research systems, and support the growth of Canadian life sciences firms, including:

• $500 million for the Canada Foundation for Innovation to support the bio-science capital and infrastructure needs of post-secondary institutions and research hospitals.
• $250 million for the federal research granting councils to create the new Canada Biomedical Research Fund, launched on October 5, 2021.
• $92 million for adMare to support company creation, scale up, and training activities in the life sciences sector.
• $59.2 million for the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization to support the development of its vaccine candidates and expand its facility in Saskatoon.
• $45 million to the Stem Cell Network to support stem cell and regenerative medicine research.
• $1 billion of support through the Strategic Innovation Fund targeted toward promising domestic life sciences and bio-manufacturing firms.
• $250 million to increase clinical research capacity through a new Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinical Trials Fund.
• $50 million to create a life sciences stream in the Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative, as part of a larger venture capital investment proposed.
The government's 2020 investment announcements to bolster domestic production capacity:

• NRC (QC) - $126 million to establish the new Biologics Manufacturing Centre;
• Sanofi Pasteur (ON) - up to $415 million support towards building an end-to-end influenza vaccine manufacturing facility;
• Resilience Biotechnologies (ON) - $199 million to increase manufacturing and fill/finish capacity for a number of vaccines and therapeutics including mRNA technologies;
• BioVectra (PEI) - $39.8 million to expand mRNA and plasmid DNA manufacturing, enabling them to offer end-to-end manufacturing for mRNA vaccines.;
• Jubilant HollisterStier (QC) - $23.8 million to increase Jubilant HollisterStier’s fill and finish capacity for a variety of vaccines, including mRNA;
• Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation and the University of Alberta (AB) – over $80.5 million for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative, aimed at enhancing Alberta's biomedical sector and boosting domestic critical medicine production.;
• Moderna will build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Laval, Quebec, which will be able to produce up to 100 million mRNA vaccine doses annually.

• The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces, territories and other partners to deliver strong results for the health and safety of Canadians.
• Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy consists of five pillars to support the sector from training, to research, to clinical trials, to commercialization and production of life-saving vaccines and medicines.
• Investments will ensure Canada has the research and development pipeline and talent across the supply chain to support a dynamic and growing biologics manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.