Expanding Life Sciences Companies See Canada As A Cost-Effective Location Altern

Access to the U.S. market is always a major consideration in a company’s decision to locate their operations in Canada. Biotech and life science companies locating in Ontario are looking to supply the U.S. market, according to Greg Wootton, director of the Investment Branch Ontario in the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. “European countries see Canada as a gateway to North America, because Canada is seen as an easier market to get into than the U.S.,” Wootton said. “American companies treat Ontario as a state and, in fact, it competes with all states for startup dollars.” Wootton said there are other advantages for U.S. biotech companies considering a relocation to Ontario, including its many colleges and universities that provide access to skills that are helpful to small businesses as they grow and their markets expand. “Ontario is the third largest biotech center in North America,” he said. “And it’s a renowned site for clinical trials.” Ontario has 10,000 researchers, and a large, stable, demographically diverse and multi-ethnic population, Wootton said. “A centrally managed public healthcare system facilitates patient recruitment and trafficking,” he said. “The data from clinical trials is recognized by U.S. and EU (European Union) medical authorities and costs for phase II/III trials is lower than in the U.S.” Parsippany, N.J.,-based NPS Pharmaceuticals recently announced a $1 million investment in the relocation of its research lab to MaRS. The company commercializes small molecules and recombinant proteins as drugs for the treatment of metabolic, bone, mineral and central nervous systems disorders. NPS occupies the top three floors of the eight-story building. The facility includes chemistry labs with 24 eight-foot fume hoods, a vivarium and labs for molecular biology, tissue culture and pharmacology/histology. The facility also houses administration support areas, conference rooms and an area for future expansion. The company created 150 jobs as a result of the project. NPS also has a research facility in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. SFBC Anapharm, a subsidiary of SFBC of Florida, is investing $2.4 million for the construction of a new facility in Toronto. It will house 150 beds for phase I clinical trials. SFBC performs studies and phase I clinical research for the pharmaceutical industry. http://www.expansionmanagement.com:80/smo/newsviewer/default.asp?cmd=articledetail&articleid=18565&st=3

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