‘This Is Beyond My Expectations,’ Champagne Says of Canadian Biomanufacturer Rebound

‘This Is Beyond My Expectations,’ Champagne Says of Canadian Biomanufacturer Rebound
Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne responds to a question during Question Period, December 3, 2021 in Ottawa. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
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OTTAWA—Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada’s biomanufacturing sector has rebounded beyond his initial expectations in the last several months, as a Canadian drug maker stands poised to bring positive results from the first plant-based COVID-19 vaccine to Health Canada.

At the outset of the pandemic, Canada’s lack of biomanufacturing capability came into sharp focus, and the incapacity to produce COVID-19 vaccines domestically caused some major initial stumbles in the country’s early vaccine rollout.