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Life Sciences

Life Sciences

Life Sciences
in the
Toronto Region

From discovery to adoption, the Toronto Region is home to a life sciences ecosystem that can help your business develop exciting new products, run them through clinical trials, and bring them to market – all in one place and at a lower cost than other major life sciences hubs.

Learn more about Recursion, check out our blog here.

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Why the Toronto Region is right for you:

  • Toronto’s Discovery District, a 2.5km2downtown research park and health innovation hub, comprises 7 million square feet of facilities representing Canada’s largest concentration of hospitals, research institutes, business incubators, and venture capital organizations, along with the University of Toronto.
  • Toronto Region is home to more than 1,400 life sciences establishments, more than any other Canadian metropolitan area.
  • Nearly 50 international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have established head offices here, including global giants Amgen, AstraZeneca, GSK, Roche, and Teva
  • More than 11,000 researchers and technicians operate out of the region’s 37 research institutes, nine teaching hospitals, and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, with over $1 billion in research funding
  • Sitting adjacent to the United States with a single-payer healthcare system, the Toronto Region offers significant cost savings to your life science business
  • Toronto Region is home to over 250 ethnicities – which means you can conduct a globally diverse pool of trials from one location

Key subsectors:

  • Biotechnology
  • Digital Health
  • Medtech & devices
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Regenerative Medicine
Spotlight:

TMU

In January 2023, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) revealed its new medical school will be located at the Bramalea Civic Centre in Brampton. The expansive 250,000-square-foot campus will feature classrooms, offices, research hubs, and a comprehensive health clinic, all backed by a $20M contribution from the City of Brampton.

This institution is built on five core pillars: a focus on community-based primary healthcare; care that honors and respects diverse cultures; leveraging innovation and technology to enhance healthcare quality and patient results; fostering collaborative healthcare networks across various professions; and prioritizing the health and well-being of seniors.

In collaboration with its principal clinical ally, William Osler Health System (Osler), TMU’s School of Medicine is poised to create a nurturing educational space for undergraduate students, healthcare professionals, and residents, facilitating their continuous growth and learning through various training and development opportunities.

Recent Investments in Life Science Industry Companies:

Resilience

Resilience (2021): Resilience received a $164 million investment from the Government of Canada to modernize and expand its 136,000 sq. ft. biomanufacturing facility in the Toronto Region, which strengthens Canada’s biopharmaceutical ecosystem.

Sanofi

Sanofi (2021): Sanofi announced an investment of more than $600 million in a new vaccine manufacturing facility at its existing site in the Toronto Region. At their current facility, it produces millions of life-saving vaccines to more than 60 countries worldwide.

Bora Pharmaceuticals

Bora Pharmaceuticals (2020): Bora Pharmaceuticals is a premier international contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in OSD & liquids manufacturing. They choose to launch their flagship North American facility in the Toronto Region due to our world-class life sciences sector.

Roche

Hoffmann-La Roche (2020): Hoffmann-La Roche Limited (Roche Canada) has announced a major jobs investment into Ontario’s life sciences industry that will bring up to 500 highly skilled and specialized full-time positions to the Toronto Region.

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (2023): AstraZeneca announced a $500M investment, to create a Research and Development Hub in Mississauga, which will focus on leading global clinical studies in areas including cancer, COVID-19 and chronic kidney disease. The investment will also support the creation of Alexion, an AstraZeneca Rare Disease Development Hub, which will focus on rare disease research.

Spotlight:

CCRMCentre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine

Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) is a not-for-profit, public-private consortium supporting the development of foundational technologies that accelerate the commercialization of cell and gene therapies, and regenerative medicine technologies.

Located at the MaRS Discovery District and backed by Canada’s scientific excellence in stem cells, bioengineering, and biomaterials, CCRM aims to help new, potentially life-changing cell, gene and regenerative medicine-based treatments move from the laboratory to the clinic. Notable industry partners include Amgen, GE Healthcare, Pfizer, ThermoFisher Scientific, and AvroBio.

Interested in learning more?

Ready to see what the Toronto Global team can do to support your business expansion in the Toronto Region?
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