Government of Ontario Invests in Virica Biotech

To Expand Domestic Vaccine Manufacturing Capacity

OTTAWA, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virica Biotech Inc. (“Virica”), a leading supplier and developer of novel viral enhancers, announced today it is expanding its bioprocessing facilities and increasing its capacity to scale up the manufacturing of viral medicines and vaccines. The Government of Ontario is supporting the expansion at sites in Ottawa with a $790,000 grant from the Ontario Together Fund (“OTF”).

The expansion project aims to (i) grow Virica’s bioprocessing capacity to keep pace with client demand for scaling up viral medicines, (ii) advance new vaccine process development lines, and (iii) support Ontario’s preparedness for future public health emergencies with an off-the-shelf viral enhancement kit that will amplify vaccine production multifold.

“Through the Ontario Together Fund, our government is investing in innovative homegrown businesses to build our medtech ecosystem,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “We are proud to partner with Virica as they expand Canada’s vaccine manufacturing capacity.”

“Our government is proud to support the expansion of Virica’s lab facilities and strengthen their bioprocessing capacity. We’re ensuring Ontario-made solutions are available to our vaccine manufacturing partners,” said Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton.

“Ontario Together funding is a boost to Virica’s continued growth,” said Dr. Jean Simon Diallo, CEO of Virica Biotech. “Our product line of viral enhancers enables us to seize the massive opportunity to reduce bioprocessing bottlenecks for viral medicine manufacturers, and increase manufacturing yields and quality of essential viral-based therapies and vaccines.”

Virica Biotech successfully launched its first Process Innovation Facility in May 2021, in partnership with the Ottawa Health Innovation Hub and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The global upstream bioprocessing market, which includes viral medicine and vaccines, will exceed C$17B in 2027 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 12.8% thereafter.

About Virica Biotech
Virica develops viral enhancers that optimize the manufacturing of viral medicines, allowing developers to economically deploy their products at scale. Virica’s Viral Sensitizer (VSE™) platform reduces production inefficiencies caused by innate anti-viral defenses in manufacturing cells. Customized VSE formulations substantially increase manufacturing yields and reduce the cost of goods for a range of products, including vaccines, gene therapies, and cell therapies. viricabiotech.com

Photos available upon request.