Evonik is investing more than C$150 million (EUR93 million) to build a new GMP drug product manufacturing facility in Vancouver, Canada, significantly expanding its capacity to develop and produce lipid-based medicines.
Supported by up to C$68 million (EUR42 million) from the Canadian federal government’s Strategic Response Fund, the facility is designed to help pharmaceutical and biotech companies take lipid-based products—including vaccines, therapeutics and other advanced medicines—from development to commercial-scale production.
Drug product manufacturing is expected to begin by the end of 2029.
“Lipid-based drug delivery technologies are already enabling the next generation of medicines. With the support of the Canadian federal government, this investment builds on our long-standing expertise in the field, enabling the development and commercialization of more life-changing therapies,” said Lauren Kjeldsen, member of Evonik’s Executive Board and COO for the Custom Solutions segment at Evonik.
The new facility will more than triple Evonik’s existing manufacturing capacity for advanced pharmaceutical products in Vancouver. The modern GMP site will also expand quality-control and microbiological testing capabilities, aimed at improving efficiency and accelerating product release for clinical use.
The investment strengthens Evonik’s footprint in British Columbia, one of Canada’s fastest-growing life sciences hubs.
“The Vancouver region is a vibrant hub for life sciences innovation, and Evonik’s Health Care business is proud to be growing within and with this ecosystem. This investment strengthens both our regional presence and our global network for lipid-based drug delivery,” said Guido Skudlarek, head of Evonik’s Health Care business line.
British Columbia is home to more than 2,000 life sciences companies employing close to 20,000 people, most of them in Greater Vancouver. The region’s biotech ecosystem is anchored in part by the University of British Columbia, whose research has helped fuel startups and spin-offs over several decades.
“Evonik’s expansion in Vancouver underscores Canada’s leadership in life sciences and innovation. This investment will drive advances in lipid-based drug delivery, create highly skilled jobs, and bolster British Columbia’s growing biotech ecosystem.
"The Government of Canada is proud to support Evonik’s goals, which will help position Canada at the forefront of next-generation vaccines and medicines,” said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
The Vancouver expansion is intended to deepen Evonik’s role as a development and manufacturing partner for pharmaceutical and biotech companies working to bring lipid-based medicines to patients.
Lipid-based delivery systems are critical to the encapsulation and delivery of nucleic acid medicines, including mRNA. LNPs have emerged as a leading delivery technology, most notably through their use in COVID-19 vaccines, and demand is expected to rise as nucleic acid therapeutics expand across the parenteral drug market.
