Province, Federal government jointly award $300 million to BC company to expand bio-tech research

2012 Biotech company that originated in UBC is making waves worldwide
VANCOUVER: Canadian government and British Columbia have jointly announced funding of $300 million to a made-in-BC biotech company AbCellera project.
The Province of B.C. is contributing $75 million and Government of Canada is contributing $225 million toward the project, which has a total value of $701 million.
The project will see AbCellera build a state-of-the-art biotechnology campus that will include a new preclinical development facility and upgrades to existing facilities in Vancouver, creating more than 400 highly skilled jobs, as well as new training opportunities in life sciences and biomanufacturing.
AbCellera is a Canadian technology company that is breaking the barriers of conventional antibody drug discovery to bring better medicines to patients sooner. AbCellera emerged out of the University of British Columbia in 2012, originally with six employees, and now employs more than 500 across its locations in Vancouver; Boston; Sydney, Australia; and Cambridge, United Kingdom.
“AbCellera is an amazing local success story and today’s commitment represents the largest single private investment in a life-sciences project in our history,” said Premier David Eby. “This partnership will ensure British Columbians see the benefit of access to innovative therapies through clinical trials, while creating hundreds of good jobs and local training opportunities as we position B.C. as a global hub for life sciences and biomanufacturing.”
Globally, AbCellera has more than 60,000 square metres (650,000 square feet) of lab, office and manufacturing facilities in use or under development; more than 170 programs under contract with more than 40 partners; and AbCellera and its partners have brought nine molecules to the clinic.
“It wasn’t long ago that AbCellera emerged out of the University of British Columbia to become a global biotech leader saving lives around the world. We’ve supported AbCellera from the very beginning, and this commitment to its success is a commitment to the success of a strong and sustainable economy right here in B.C,” said Brenda Bailey, B.C. Minister of Jobs.
The project will enable locally invented treatments in areas, such as oncology and immune diseases, to be developed and trialed in B.C., which will benefit patients in B.C. and around the world. It also builds the capability needed to conduct Phase 1 clinical trials in B.C.
AbCellera’s engine integrates expert teams, technology and facilities with the data science and automation needed to propel antibody-based medicines from target to clinic in nearly every therapeutic area with precision and speed.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, AbCellera and its partners brought two antibody treatments to patients, including the first antibody treatment to be authorized by the Health Canada and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
AbCellera’s COVID-19 antibodies have been used to treat more than 2.5 million patients and are estimated to have saved tens of thousands of lives.