$199M expansion to GlaxoSmithKline influenza vaccine manufacturing facility near completion

Quebec City, QC – GlaxoSmithKline says it is nearing completion of a two-year, $199-million upgrade and expansion of its Quebec City influenza vaccine manufacturing facility. As a result, the facility is now a key global influenza vaccine manufacturing site, supporting public health strategies in Canada, the United States and worldwide.

“Today’s announcement reinforces the key role that both Quebec and Canada play in GSK’s global vaccine business,” said Michel Baijot, vice-president, worldwide strategic alliances & business development, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, the company’s vaccine division. “Through this investment, Quebec and Canada will have an impact on global health by supporting countries in their influenza pandemic planning.”

The investment has enabled the Quebec City facility to increase manufacturing capacity of seasonal influenza vaccine to 75 million doses per year. The facility will also play a pivotal role in providing a secure supply of pandemic vaccines to support the federal government’s pandemic readiness plans.

As well as increasing manufacturing capacity, the expansion involved extensive upgrades of the existing facilities as well as the creation of additional space and the installation of new equipment. The site includes laboratories that the company says exceed regulatory requirements for safety and quality.

The news follows an announcement in June that the company has designated its Laval, Quebec site as North American administrative and research and development headquarters for the company’s vaccine division. It also announced a $50M expansion of that site.