GILEAD ALBERTA ULC ANNOUNCES MAJOR EXPANSION OF RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA
On October 21, 2013, Gilead Alberta ULC, a fully integrated research and manufacturing facility of Gilead Sciences Canada, Inc., announced a $47 million expansion of its research and manufacturing facility in Edmonton, Alberta. The expansion will create more than 80 full-time positions at Gilead Alberta and increase the size of the facility by 45,000 square feet to create significant new laboratory and research space.
The Edmonton site develops and manufactures Gilead's investigational medicines for clinical research programs in areas such as hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and cancer. Recently, the facility played a lead role in producing supplies of a new medicine for hepatitis C, called sofosbuvir, for use in clinical trials. Gilead Alberta will also manufacture this drug for commercial use pending approval of the medicine by Health Canada and other regulatory authorities.
Gilead is playing a leading role in Alberta's emerging biopharmaceutical sector. In 2012, the company spent almost $55 million dollars in research and development (R&D) in Canada, and most of this investment was targeted to Alberta. There are currently more than 250 staff working at the Edmonton site in areas such as R&D, analytical research, drug manufacturing and quality assurance.
Gilead Sciences was founded in 1987 in Foster City, California, and is now a global biopharmaceutical company with 16 marketed medicines and operations in North and South America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Statements on Alberta Expansion
Honorable Thomas Lukaszuk, Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education - "Gilead's commitment to expand its investment in Alberta is an endorsement of the thriving life sciences industry in the province. Alberta continues to focus on building a diversified, knowledge-based economy, and as such, we are building an innovation ecosystem to encourage similar expansions and launches across all industrial sectors. The Gilead Alberta expansion is a perfect example of how we intend to create stronger links between the research industry and our innovation system to build on commercialization opportunities. Gilead is leading the way forward."
His Worship Stephen Mandel, Mayor of Edmonton - "I'm pleased to be at the groundbreaking of this exciting new facility. Gilead Alberta is not only a leader of the province's life sciences community, but has also been a tremendous corporate partner in Edmonton by supporting local education efforts, including the mentoring of college students to ensure a sustainable commitment to science and research into the future. Gilead Alberta is a true success story."
Robin Nicol, Vice President and General Manager, Gilead Alberta ULC - "Gilead Alberta is proud to play a role in developing innovative medical therapies for some of today's most challenging diseases. This expansion represents an important opportunity to recruit highly-trained clinical and technical professionals in Alberta. The province is home to leading scientists and researchers who have the vision and expertise to advance patient care in many disease areas."
Ed Gudaitis, General Manager, Gilead Sciences Canada, Inc. - "Gilead is committed to advancing medicine to address the unmet needs of patients with life-threatening diseases. Our investigational medicine for hepatitis C, sofosbuvir, has the potential to improve on current treatment options by boosting the effectiveness of therapy. It is our hope that Gilead's state-of-the-art facility in Alberta will play a central role in bringing this important therapeutic advance to patients around the world."
Amanda Stadel, President, BioAlberta – "As the organizing hub and voice of the life sciences industry in the province, BioAlberta's vision and commitment is to build a thriving and competitive life sciences industry that fuels key sectors of Alberta's economy. Through the expansion of their research and manufacturing facility in Edmonton, and the attraction and recruitment of highly qualified scientific and technical personnel, Gilead Alberta is setting the precedent and leading the way in realizing this vision."
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet need. Headquartered in Foster City, California, the company was established in 1987 and has become a leading biopharmaceutical company with a rapidly expanding product portfolio, a growing pipeline of investigational drugs and approximately 5,500 employees in offices across five continents. Gilead's primary areas of focus include HIV/AIDS, liver diseases, serious respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, oncology and inflammation. The company has operations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Gilead Sciences Canada, Inc. is the Canadian affiliate of Gilead Sciences, Inc. and was established in Mississauga, Ontario in 2006. In 2012, Gilead Sciences Canada generated revenues of approximately $238 million and was ranked as one of the top 10 fastest growing pharmaceutical companies by IMS. Gilead Canada is recognized as having one of the highest R&D-to-sales ratios (spending 23 per cent of its product revenues on R&D) among Canadian pharmaceutical companies. In Alberta, the company is involved in multiple initiatives to support Alberta's advanced education system and not-for-profit sector. For example, the company supports the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's (NAIT) Chemical Technologist program, a student internship program for college students, and invests in the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences at the University of Alberta. In addition, Gilead staff support and volunteer with many local programs across Edmonton, including the Capital Care Foundation and the annual AIDS Walk for Life in Edmonton.
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Sofosbuvir is an investigational product and its safety and efficacy have not yet been established.