Pharmaceutical firm expands in North York
Specialized research jobs created in expansion
Pharmaceutical company sanofi pasteur is investing $100 million in a new, state-of-the-art research facility at the Connaught Campus on Steeles Avenue, east of Dufferin Street.
The investment includes construction of an $80 million facility and the purchase of specialized research and development equipment over the next five years.
The Ontario government will contribute $13.9 million through the Biopharmaceutical Investment Program (BIP), which is administered by the Ministry of Research and Innovation and is part of the government's Next Generation of Jobs Fund.
Construction of the 165,0000-square-foot facility will begin this year and is expected for occupancy in 2010.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty was on hand at the April 15 announcement at sanofi pasteur's Connaught Campus, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group.
"We are lucky in life if we can do well for ourselves and for others," he said. "I support this magnificent work. It's the first investment we've made under this new program of ours."
The investment means 900 existing research and manufacturing jobs will be retained and 30 new permanent high-skill research jobs will be created. About 300 new construction jobs will also be created while the expansion is being built.
Jerome Silvestre, president of sanofi-aventis Canada, said the investment will improve the lives of countless Canadians and residents of other countries.
Wayne Pisano, president and CEO of sanofi pasteur, said the investment solidifies the company's vision of a world free of preventable disease suffering.
"Three million lives in the world are saved every year because of vaccinations," he said. "We will be here in 2010 for the ribbon cutting of the new facility."
Sanofi Pasteur manufactures vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases including diphtheria, meningococcal meningitis and tuberculosis.
