Co-led by the University of Ottawa and McMaster University, in partnership with The Ottawa Hospital, CP2H is one of five federally-funded research hubs that are designed to bolster Canada’s domestic biomanufacturing capacity and pandemic preparedness.
The funding, announced April 24 at The Ottawa Hospital by the Hon. Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s minister of colleges, universities, research excellence and security, will enhance the province’s capacity to develop and manufacture lifesaving vaccines, gene therapies, cell therapies and other kinds of biotherapeutics.
“Ontario-made biomanufacturing research is producing critical life-saving solutions to health concerns that face not only our province, but also our nation,” he says. “Our government is proud to invest in the Canadian Biomanufacturing Cooperative to ensure we can continue to protect Ontario from emerging health threats and fortify our province as a global leader in the life sciences research sector.”
In 2024, the federal government awarded more than $115 million to CP2H for research and infrastructure to enhance Canada’s capacity to develop and manufacture biotherapeutics. The new infrastructure will be supported by this additional funding from the province, which will strengthen ongoing biomanufacturing activities and catalyze new opportunities.
Funding supports made-in-Ontario biotherapeutics
“Biomanufacturing is not only critical for the development of vaccines, but also for the development of innovative new therapies for cancer and other devastating diseases,” says Dr. John Bell, CP2H scientific co-lead, senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, professor at the University of Ottawa and co-founder of Ontario biotech startup company Esphera SynBio. “This funding will help us develop life-saving solutions to emerging and ongoing public health challenges while providing critical infrastructure for the growing biotherapeutics industry.”
“This support from the province reflects Ontario’s commitment to growing a world-class life sciences sector,” adds Matthew Miller, the other CP2H scientific co-lead and executive director of McMaster University’s Global Nexus. “This new funding will allow us to produce a suite of made-in-Ontario therapeutics, vaccines and technologies that will better protect those living in Canada and abroad from infectious disease threats.”
The provincial investment includes:
- $27 million for The Ottawa Hospital to expand its Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre
- $18 million for McMaster University to expand its Fitzhenry Vector Laboratory
These facilities will collaborate on construction and equipment, enabling them to align their manufacturing processes. Along with other facilities across the country, they will create a national network of harmonized biomanufacturing facilities that will work together to produce new, innovative therapies. The funding will also enable research at CP2H member sites at the University of Ottawa, the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University and the University of Saskatchewan, as well as with several industrial partners.
Investment to boost commercialization and entrepreneurship
“The University of Ottawa is thrilled to see this vital investment in CP2H, which will unlock unparalleled opportunities to connect Canada’s biomedical manufacturing facilities and fast track the journey from innovation to market,” says Julie St-Pierre, interim vice-president, research and innovation, at the University of Ottawa. “With our cutting-edge expertise and strategic location in the nation’s capital, uOttawa is uniquely equipped to help drive this initiative and have a meaningful impact in Canada and beyond.”
“This provincial investment in CP2H will allow McMaster and its partners in Ottawa to strengthen Ontario’s biomanufacturing capacity and better stock Canada’s health innovation pipeline,” says Andy Knights, acting vice-president, research, at McMaster University. “Already, our researchers are working together to turn their bold ideas into impactful commercial ventures that catalyze both economic growth and better health outcomes for Canadians.”
The new equipment and facilities will not only boost Ontario’s biomanufacturing capacity, but will also boost commercialization and entrepreneurship in the province, foster new partnerships between academia and industry, and accelerate the speed at which health research moves into clinical trials and beyond.
Even now, companies like AeroImmune Biotech, Virica and Esphera SynBio are leveraging CP2H infrastructure, and the new funding is expected to attract more partners in both the short and long term.
“Researchers across Ontario have started dozens of innovative life sciences companies, but we haven’t had enough local biomanufacturing capacity to support them,” says Dr. Duncan Stewart, senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, professor at the University of Ottawa and the lead on CP2H’s combined infrastructure project. “The investment from the Government of Ontario will help to address this critical need, so that our companies can get to the next level and bring their innovative products to people in Ontario and around the world.”
The new infrastructure will also serve as a state-of-the-art training ground where the next generation of Canadian scientists will learn from top biomanufacturing experts. In all, it’s expected that nearly 350 researchers, students and technicians will benefit from hands-on experience with the enhanced facilities.
CP2H was established in 2023 through the integrated Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) and the Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF).
Learn more about the Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub.