Thank you, Madam Chair, and members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to address this committee.
The Robert E. Fitzhenry vector facility is designed to produce adenoviral vectored vaccines. These will be similar to the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, and actually the CanSino and Sputnik vaccines, for example.
McMaster pioneered the genetic engineering of adenoviral vaccine vectors decades ago, and all such vaccines are essentially based on Canadian technologies that were initially developed at McMaster.
The facility was originally designed to produce vaccines for phase one/two testing, and in the past has manufactured vaccines for infectious disease and oncology clinical trials in humans as well as veterinary trials in oncology. This work has allowed McMaster to license technology to industry and recently to spin out a biotech company that now employs over 60 scientists and technical staff in Ontario.
Our team is currently manufacturing two second-generation adenoviral vectored COVID vaccines designed to provide a broader immunity against three SARS-CoV-2 proteins. This design is expected to provide immunity to vaccinees against components that are less able to change and are conserved across the arising variants and even potential pandemic coronaviral species that are present in Asian bat populations.
McMaster has also pioneered methods to administer these vaccines through inhalation using a device analogous to a puffer. This would boost immunity within the lung where it is needed most. Importantly, this route of administration allows for a much lower dose of vaccine to be effective. Our planned trial will incorporate this route of administration.
In closing, I would like to express my gratitude for the rapid response to COVID-19 from the government and all parties. A robust domestic manufacturing capacity for vaccines is pivotal for Canada not only to ensure Canadians have timely access to lifesaving vaccines, but also from an IP, innovation and national security point of view. We have a great foundation for domestic manufacturing capacity in Canada and we see a path forward to creating a dynamic ecosystem.
McMaster has initiated conversations with NRC about the new Royalmount facility, and we see a tremendous opportunity for small academic facilities like ourselves to position ourselves better as feeder facilities for these larger biomanufacturing centres. This would allow the future Canadian ecosystem to be nimble and better poised to develop and test new technologies. Decisions made in the near future will determine whether this capacity will meet the needs of future pandemics, or if we will continue to rely on our international partners.
I look forward to your questions.