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Canada, the Americas and Beyond

Canada's pharmaceutical industry is generally quieter than that of the United States. One recent announcement was the formation of DSM Biologics, a pharmaceutical group supported by the Dutch company DSM that will be headquartered in MontrÈal. The company will employ 140 people to develop and manufacture biopharmaceutical products. "We are especially proud that DSM Biologics decided to set up operations in MontrÈal," says Bernard Landry, deputy prime minister. "This is the first step in our efforts to increase the number of investment projects in sectors that create high-caliber jobs."

Investissement Quebec (www.invest-quebec.com) has announced that Phoenix International Life Sciences is committing more than $55 million to expand laboratories and other facilities in Saint-Laurent. The new lab will be nearly 14,000 sq. m. (150,000 sq. ft.) in size.

Alberta also will see increased investment in pharmaceutical industry facilities. Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, an industry association, announced in Nov. 1999 that it would invest at least $150 million (Canadian) in research and development in the province over the next three years. Earlier this year, the Canadian government awarded $22.3 million to Alberta universities and research institutions. Biotechnology projects under development Alberta are among the beneficiaries.

On Canada's West Coast, Inex Pharmaceuticals moved into new laboratory and office facilities in Burnaby, B.C., in 1997. Inflazyme Pharmaceuticals, based in Vancouver, received an investment from Swiss-based Aventis Pharma, to develop new therapies for asthma, allergies and respiratory disease.

Other pharmaceutical giants are investing in new global manufacturing operations. In February, Switzerland-based Roche opened a new vitamin premix plant in El Salto, Mexico, to supply customers in the food and pharmaceutical industries in Mexico and Central America. Roche also announced plans to build a similar premix plant in Isando, South Africa, to serve southern Africa. That plant is expected to be operational in 2001. The company's Chinese subsidiary, Roche Taishan (Shanghai) Vitamin Products Ltd. last fall opened a vitamin A production facility in Shanghai.