Company's investment totals $200M for facilities that will help develop new
drugs
EDMONTON, May 27, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, Gilead Alberta ULC, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD),
officially opened the first of two new laboratory buildings at its
Edmonton campus, and announced an
additional $100 million investment to
further expand and upgrade the site as the biopharmaceutical
company broadens its pipeline of treatments in areas of unmet
medical need.
"We are pleased to continue our growth here in Alberta, as evidenced by the significant
investment and expansion announced today," said Norbert Bischofberger, PhD, Executive Vice
President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer,
Gilead Sciences. "Our facility in
Edmonton is home to many leading
scientists and researchers who are working to improve patient care
around the world."
Gilead Alberta's two new
laboratory buildings, including the one that opens today, will
allow for close to 170 additional highly trained scientists in
Edmonton and enable Gilead Alberta to expand to support the
development and manufacturing of investigational drugs, supply
active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for clinical research
programs and contribute to new product launch supplies in the areas
of hepatitis C virus (HCV), HIV/AIDS and oncology. A second
laboratory building is under construction and set for completion in
the spring of 2016.
The additional $100 million
investment at the campus will include the construction of a new
process tower for the additional manufacturing of API, a
maintenance facility, and upgrades to the existing site. The
process tower will expand the capabilities of the operations in
Edmonton to allow for the handling
of more potent compounds.
Edmonton is home to Gilead's
largest operation in Canada, with
more than 300 employees. In 2014, Gilead invested more than
$100 million in research and
development in Canada, almost half
of that in Alberta. "Made in
Canada" solutions include the
Edmonton facility providing
significant clinical trial quantities for Gilead's global research,
clinical trial supplies for HCV and HIV therapies and
material for oncology research.
"The state-of-the-art research and development facility that
opens today marks an important milestone for Gilead as it further
increases its contribution to Alberta's growing life-sciences
industry," said Dr. Robin Nicol,
Vice President of Chemical Operations and General Manager, Gilead
Alberta ULC. "As Gilead expands into new therapeutic areas, the
additional laboratory space enables our process and analytical
chemistry teams in Edmonton to
make an even greater contribution to the development of life-saving
therapies for patients."
In Alberta, Gilead initiatives support the province's advanced
education system and not-for-profit sector such as the Northern
Alberta Institute of Technology's (NAIT) Chemical Technology
program, the Industrial Internship Program at the University of Alberta and the Centennial Centre for
Interdisciplinary Sciences at the University
of Alberta. Gilead staff also support and volunteer with
many local programs across Edmonton, including the CapitalCare Foundation
and the annual AIDS Walk for Life.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences is a
biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and
commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical
need. The company's mission is to advance the care of patients
suffering from life-threatening diseases. Gilead has operations in
more than 30 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.
SOURCE Gilead Sciences