Canadian contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) OmniaBio has debuted its new state-of-the-art facility focused on cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing.
The facility, located in Hamilton, Ontario, spans 120,000 square feet and is designed to support the development and production of cell and gene therapies through AI-enabled technologies.
The facility is equipped with high-tech cleanrooms, scalable production lines and advanced bioprocessing systems.
This infrastructure allows OmniaBio to offer full-service capabilities from early-stage development to commercial manufacturing, making it a crucial partner for biotechnology companies seeking to scale up their therapies.
“This new facility puts us in a unique position as a specialist commercial CGT manufacturing leader tackling the toughest disease challenges head-on by combining an experienced team with advanced tools and solutions,” Mitchel Sivilotti, OmniaBio’s president and CEO, said in a press release announcing the launch of the new plant.
Related: Ontario Announces $40 Million Investment as it Aims to Become a Global Life Sciences Hub
OmniaBio was first established in 2022 by the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) in Canada, and then later partnered with South Korean stem cell therapeutics company Medipost.
CCRM is a global public-private partnership based in Canada, with funding from the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and key academic and industry collaborators. Focused on advancing regenerative medicine, CCRM supports the development of cell and gene therapies, along with the associated enabling technologies.
Medipost will be the new facility’s first commercial-stage client. The company plans to manufacture its allogeneic, umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem therapy Cartistem, which is designed to treat knee cartilage defects caused by degeneration in patients with osteoarthritis.
OmniaBio’s new facility, situated at McMaster Innovation Park near the US border and Canada’s largest international airport, is specifically designed to handle the unique challenges of cell and gene therapy production.
It includes essential features like advanced cold chain logistics, specialized staff training areas, streamlined production workflows and a multi-modality layout that supports both cell and vector-based manufacturing processes.
By leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as robotics, biosensors and machine learning, OmniaBio said it is among the first CDMOs globally to integrate these innovations into its services. This approach aims to reduce manufacturing costs, enhance product quality and boost production rates compared to traditional CDMO methods, the company explained.
Initially, OmniaBio’s AI-driven manufacturing capabilities will focus on producing cellular immunotherapies and iPSC-based therapies.
OmniaBio’s new facility represents a major development in Ontario’s growing life sciences sector, further positioning the province as a growing hub for advanced biomanufacturing technologies.
Last week, the Ontario government announced the next phase of its plan to establish the province as a global biomanufacturing and life sciences hub. Phase 2 of the plan involves an additional $146 million investment to boost the sector’s growth.
This phase will also include the launch of the new Health Innovation Pathway that will “streamline and simplify access for health care organizations to adopt transformative technologies with a priority placed on supporting Ontario-based innovations,” said the province in its announcement.
OmniaBio’s expansion is a part of the surge of growth in the CDMO sector over the past few years. Recently, Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services and Afton Scientific revealed plans to enhance their sterile injectables manufacturing capacity to meet rising demand. Similarly, other CDMOs, such as Exela Pharma Sciences, Piramal Pharma Solutions and SK pharmteco, have also announced expansions in their production capabilities.
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