Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A new Covid vaccine manufacturing plant that has just been completed in Laval’s Cité de la Biotech will be up and running by the fall next year, according to the company that built the facility.
The $250-million plant, which officially opened on Feb. 23 with federal, provincial and municipal officials present, will eventually produce about 100 million doses of vaccines annually, which is enough for all of Canada, said Moderna officials.
Moderna chose Laval
“Our Cité de la biotech of Laval is expanding phenomenally today as construction of the Moderna manufacturing plant is completed,” said Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“The arrival of a major player in life sciences and health technologies in the Laval economic ecosystem is a sign of a dynamic city in action,” he continued.
“Having a company of this magnitude on our territory is supporting our objective and vision of being a global leader where you can find quality facilities, vibrant living spaces and a qualified workforce.”
“Completing the construction of our mRNA facility marks a groundbreaking moment for Moderna and Canada as we progress towards delivering a domestic mRNA vaccine supply chain,” said Stefan Raos, general manager of Moderna Canada.
A ‘centre of excellence’
“This building is a tangible example of concerted collaboration with the federal government, the government of Quebec, and the city of Laval, reflecting the lessons of the pandemic. We are proud to help drive Canada’s reputation as an mRNA centre of excellence and contributor to global health initiatives.”
The initiative will also generate and support high-skilled employment opportunities. The building of the facility was made possible in part by funding from the provincial Investissement Québec development agency.
Moderna currently has 45 therapeutic and vaccine programs in its pipeline across infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases and autoimmune diseases, including nine in late-stage development.
Minimizing disease threats
“With infectious diseases continuing to pose a significant health challenge, our mRNA platform can play a pivotal role against current and future threats,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna.
“Canada’s role in global health is critical, and with this facility, Moderna is honoured to contribute to its robust scientific community and public health leadership in driving innovation and transformative medicine forward,” Bancel added.
The factory will be able to do a lot more than make vaccines against COVID-19, said federal minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne.
“Moderna is not just about COVID-19,” he said. “This is a range of vaccines that we will be able to produce at home. … There are even vaccines potentially for cancer.”
Reducing foreign dependence
Quebec’s economy minister, Pierre Fitzgibbon, said the project makes it possible to reduce local dependence on foreign-produced vaccines. Fitzgibbon believes Moderna’s project will also serve as a calling card to attract other pharmaceutical projects to Quebec.
“There are international pharmaceutical companies looking at what’s going on, at the talent at McGill, at the Université de Montréal, among others,” he said. “I think it’s going to create a pretty significant momentum for the life sciences.”