$200 million project will enable manufacturing of cutting-edge bioprinted tissue therapeutics and advance a global leading technology platform in Canada
Canada has a long history of global leadership on regenerative medicine and diabetes treatments, as both stem cells and insulin were discovered by Canadian researchers. The federal government builds on this legacy by supporting the technology development and manufacturing of next generation bioprinted tissue therapeutics with applications for diabetes and other serious health conditions including liver disease. This support will strengthen Canada's position as a global leader in a new wave of therapeutic innovations and medicines.
Today, the Honourable François-Phillipe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Brenda Bailey, British Columbia's Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, jointly announced an investment of $72.75 million in Vancouver-based Aspect Biosystems, a pioneer in the development of bioprinted tissue therapeutics. The Government of Canada is contributing $49 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund, and the Province of British Columbia is contributing $23.75 million toward Aspect Biosystems' $200 million project to establish a world-leading clinical biomanufacturing facility and capabilities, advance its cutting-edge technology platform and expand its therapeutic pipeline of novel bioprinted tissue therapeutics for serious metabolic and endocrine diseases.
This strategic initiative leverages a historic US $2.6 billion biotech partnership between Aspect Biosystems and Novo Nordisk, and will establish the first clinical biomanufacturing facility in Canada dedicated to producing next-generation bioprinted tissue therapeutics. These advanced cell-based medicines will be manufactured using Aspect Biosystems' industry-leading technology platform which combines proprietary bioprinting technology, computational tissue design, biomaterials and therapeutic cells, to create implantable cell-based therapies for replacing or repairing biological functions - such as sensing glucose and releasing insulin - that are lost or damaged due to disease.
This investment represents an important step towards the commercialization of next-generation bioprinted tissue therapeutics, and demonstrates the government's commitment to ensuring that Canadians benefit from world-leading Canadian innovation.
