Vaccines save lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Canadians came together, rolled up their sleeves and got their shots. And because of this teamwork, we got through the pandemic. But as we look back on the past few years, one thing is clear – we need to make more vaccines here in Canada, and we need to be able to make them fast.
Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, attended the official opening of Sanofi’s new state-of-the-art Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a federal investment of $20 million, the facility will be one of the most advanced vaccine manufacturing facilities in the world.
As the largest biomanufacturing facility in Canadian history, it will help the company expand the production of its life-saving vaccines. It will produce whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria vaccines for Canada and 60 international markets. And it will create over 200 good-paying jobs as well as support and maintain over 1000 other jobs in Ontario.
We’re investing in biomanufacturing, enabling breakthrough science, creating jobs, and producing the life-saving medicines that’ll keep Canadians healthy, right here in Canada. It’s a win for public health, a win for science, a win for our innovators and researchers, and a win for Canadian families.
And we’re not stopping there. This is just the first of two advanced vaccine manufacturing facilities the company is building in Toronto, Ontario. With a $415 million investment from our Strategic Innovation Fund, we’re helping Sanofi build a new end-to-end flu vaccine manufacturing facility. Once operational, this facility will be able to produce enough vaccine doses to protect our entire population within six months of a pandemic flu strain being identified by the World Health Organization. This will make sure we’re better prepared for health emergencies, better protected against outbreaks, and better placed to get vaccines to Canadians, faster.
Strengthening our biomanufacturing and life sciences sector across the country will help re-establish Canada’s vaccine manufacturing capability, get them to families faster, and give our health scientists a fair chance to make groundbreaking discoveries – all while growing the economy and creating good jobs.
Quotes
“Vaccines save lives. That’s why we’ll be producing a lot more of them in Canada, including flu vaccines. Sanofi’s two new facilities in Toronto will create good-paying jobs, protect the health and well-being of Canadians, and give our scientists, innovators, and researchers a fair chance to succeed.”
The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“Our government is pleased to support Sanofi as they expand their footprint in Ontario. This new state-of-the-art facility is another vote of confidence in our workers and our growing life sciences sector, helping to ensure people in Ontario and around the world have increased access to life-saving vaccines when they need them.”
The Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
“Today’s announcement represents a significant milestone in our vision to rebuild our domestic biomanufacturing sector. By attracting such significant foreign investments, our government is developing an industry and expertise that will help Canada contribute to global needs and be better prepared for a range of health threats, including future pandemics. These manufacturing facilities are building an important expertise in Canada by creating and maintaining highly skilled jobs for Canadians.”
The Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“Protecting the health and safety of people in Canada is one of our government’s top priorities. With this new facility, we can strengthen our domestic biomanufacturing capacity and improve health outcomes for Canadians.”
The Hon. Mark Holland, Minister of Health
“With the resurgence of infectious diseases, the capacity to develop and produce vaccines in Canada is critical. In strengthening Canada's vaccination supply, we can better help protect our loved ones, our communities, and the most vulnerable among us.”
The Hon. Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
“Sanofi’s Facility in Toronto adds to Canada’s roster of pharmaceutical manufacturers who are creating vaccines for a variety of life-threatening diseases and illnesses. The Government of Canada is pleased to support this project with $20 million that will bolster our domestic vaccine production, grow our biomanufacturing and life sciences sectors, and create good jobs.”
The Hon. Filomena Tassi, Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
“We at Sanofi are proud to have delivered Canada’s largest, state-of-the-art new vaccine manufacturing facility, which symbolizes our unwavering dedication to innovation and scientific advancement. As a leader in prevention, Sanofi will significantly increase capacity to protect children and adults world-wide against pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria, and tetanus vaccines. In addition, Sanofi continues building its new flu and pandemic preparedness facility which will be operational in 2027. We thank the federal, provincial, and municipal governments for their crucial collaboration and for their commitment to public health.”
Stephanie Veyrun-Manetti, Country Lead Canada and General Manager Specialty Care, Sanofi
Quick Facts
- Through Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, the Government of Canada has invested $2.2 billion across 38 projects in the biomanufacturing ecosystem, including:
- Biovectra (Prince Edward Island): $39.8 million to expand mRNA and plasmid DNA manufacturing, enabling them to offer end-to-end manufacturing for mRNA vaccines.
- AbCellera (British Columbia): $175.6 million to support antibody discovery for clinical testing, in collaboration with Eli Lilly, and construction of a facility in Vancouver; $225 million to create a state-of-the-art biotech campus and make significant upgrades to its existing facilities in Vancouver.
- The Government also entered into an agreement with Moderna, which is building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Laval, Quebec, that will be able to produce up to 100 million mRNA vaccine doses annually.
- Sanofi’s newly opened Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in Toronto, Ontario, was supported by a $20 million investment from FedDev Ontario, provided as a repayable contribution through the Advanced Manufacturing Fund. The Government of Ontario also supported the project with a $50 million investment through its Jobs and Prosperity Fund, and the City of Toronto is providing tax incentives to Sanofi through the Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology incentive program.
- With a total cost of $925 million, the construction of Sanofi’s second facility in Toronto is also supported by an investment of $455 million from the company and $55 million from the Government of Ontario. Once up and running, it will produce the company’s Fluzone High-Dose Vaccine for its Northern Hemisphere campaign.
- The Strategic Innovation Fund supports research, development, and commercialization of new products that pave the way for Canada as a global innovation leader and attract investments that create jobs. It was launched in Budget 2017 to ensure Canada remains a top destination for businesses to invest, grow, and create jobs.
- Earlier this month, nearly $574 million in Government of Canada funding was announced to support 19 projects at 14 research institutions across Canada, through Stage 2 of the integrated Canada Biomedical Research Fund and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund.
- To advance the next generation of cutting-edge research, Budget 2024 proposes investments in vaccine research and development, including:
- $30 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support the completion of the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for Pandemic Research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This investment will enable the study of high-risk pathogens to support vaccines and therapeutic development, a key pillar in Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.
- Sanofi is a global healthcare company and leader in the development of drugs and vaccines. It employs more than 100,000 people globally in 100 countries, with entities in Canada employing over 2,000 people, including almost 80 per cent of jobs related to vaccines. Sanofi’s heritage in Canada dates back to 1914, with the majority of its Canadian operations located in Toronto, Ontario. Over the past 110 years, the company’s site has been home to many advances in Canadian and global public health.
- Sanofi is the top investor in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and research and development in Canada. As part of the Government’s investment in Sanofi’s new flu and pandemic readiness facility, Sanofi will invest at least $79 million a year in Canada’s research and development sector.
- Sanofi has signed on to the Government of Canada’s 50 – 30 Challenge, pledging to increase the representation and inclusion of diverse groups within their workplace by attaining gender parity and significant representation of under-represented groups within their senior leadership.
- Flu pandemics historically occur every 11 to 41 years, making it critical for Canada to have domestic biomanufacturing capacity for pandemic flu vaccines.