AstraZeneca Canada Receives $16.1 Million in Funding to Support Expansion of Research and Development Facilities in Ontario
Officials gathered at AstraZeneca Canada’s Mississauga-based biopharmaceutical company on Thursday to announce $16.1 million in funding through the Invest Ontario Fund. This funding is part of the company’s $820 million plan to expand its research and development facilities in Mississauga and relocate its Canadian headquarters to a larger, state-of-the-art office.
“AstraZeneca’s investment is fantastic news for Ontario and a testament to the remarkable talent, innovation, and opportunities our province offers,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “We are proud to support this expansion, which will create hundreds of highly skilled jobs and further solidify Ontario’s position as a global leader in life sciences and innovation.”
In 2023, the company announced the creation of a new hub focusing on research into rare diseases. AstraZeneca’s Research and Development Hub focuses on clinical studies in areas including breast, lung, and prostate cancer, COVID-19, and chronic kidney disease.
Building on the 2023 announcement, which included the addition of 500 new scientific roles, AstraZeneca’s total investment in Ontario now exceeds $1.3 billion. The company has created over 1,200 new, high-value jobs between both projects, according to the press release.
The Mississauga facility serves as a strategic clinical hub for AstraZeneca, employing 1,500 people and leading over 210 global clinical studies.
The expansion is expected to create over 700 new jobs across Ontario’s life sciences sector, further establishing the province as a global biomanufacturing and life sciences hub, driving the development, commercialization, and early adoption of innovative health products and services, the release stated.
“AstraZeneca’s continued investment in Ontario is crucial to advancing innovative medicines that treat, prevent, and may one day cure complex diseases like prostate, lung, and breast cancer, as well as rare diseases,” said Gaby Bourbara, President of AstraZeneca Canada. “Collaborations like today’s with Invest Ontario reflect our shared commitment to strengthening the province’s life sciences strategy, driving economic growth, and fostering innovation that benefits patients in Canada and globally.”
The expansion will also allow AstraZeneca to leverage digital health technologies, computational pathology, and artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical trial designs, aiming to improve the quality of treatments for patients battling cancer, infectious diseases, and rare conditions.
“AstraZeneca’s investment will not only support economic growth in Mississauga but reinforce Ontario’s position as a premier destination for both domestic and international life science companies to advance their research and drive medical breakthroughs,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade.