- The $925 million (CAD) expansion is adding end-to-end vaccine manufacturing capacity on Canadian soil
- Built in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the City of Toronto to bolster the country's vaccine biomanufacturing capabilities and support Canada's national response to future flu pandemics
- The facility will manufacture Fluzone® High-Dose, Sanofi's flu vaccine indicated for adults 65 years of age and older
TORONTO, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- Sanofi today inaugurated the Charles Best Building, a flu vaccine manufacturing facility that will manufacture Sanofi's Fluzone® High-Dose influenza vaccine. This new manufacturing facility also offers industrial scale capacity to strengthen Canada's preparedness for future pandemics. The $925 million (CAD) investment includes $415 million in partnership from the Government of Canada and $55 million from the Government of Ontario, marking the single-largest investment in a biomanufacturing facility in Canadian history.
Named after Dr. Charles Best, co-discoverer of insulin, and early medical director at what is now the Sanofi Toronto Campus, the facility is located on Sanofi's 52-acre property. With deep roots in Canada's biopharmaceutical history, Sanofi's Toronto Campus has since become a major vaccine R&D and manufacturing hub, producing vaccines that are distributed to more than 60 countries worldwide.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Canada's Minister of Industry; The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Canada's Minister of Health; The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto; and members of the federal and provincial government joined with Sanofi executives to inaugurate the new facility.
"Sanofi's continued investment in Canada's operations spans R&D, production and delivery of vaccines and medicines to protect Canadians", said James Guy, Canada Country Lead at Sanofi. "Today marks a strategic milestone for Sanofi and we remain committed to working with the government to ensure Canadians have timely and reliable access to the innovations that improve - and save – lives."
"Sanofi's historic investment is a strong vote of confidence in Canada's life sciences sector and in our workers", said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry. "This cutting-edge facility will strengthen our industrial vaccine capacity here at home, create quality jobs, and reinforce our economic security. By investing in strategic sectors and partnering with innovative companies, we are building a world-class biomanufacturing ecosystem that attracts global investment, drives innovations, and keeps Canada competitive in the industries that will shape tomorrow's economy."
"Investments, just like groundbreaking medicines and vaccines, require a safe, secure, and reliable environment to thrive", said Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health. "As a trusted market with one of the world's strongest research ecosystems, Canada is where people look to. In an evolving global landscape, today's inauguration strengthens Canada's pharmaceutical sovereignty and helps protect the health of Canadians."
"We're delivering on our plan to make Ontario the most competitive place to invest, create jobs and do business," said Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario. "This plan has brought in over $235 billion in investments, including the one we are celebrating today, creating more than one million new jobs for Ontario workers. I want to thank all our partners at Sanofi for their vote of confidence in Ontario and our world-class workers."
"The inauguration of this state-of-the-art facility is a testament to our world-class life sciences talent and manufacturing expertise", said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. "This investment reinforces Toronto as a leader in the medical and healthcare sector and represents a major milestone in public health preparedness for Canada."
The Charles Best Building, which broke ground in 2021, is now fully operational and, pending regulatory approval, will begin production in early 2027 in preparation for the 2027-28 flu season.
In addition to providing essential influenza vaccines, the expansion of Sanofi's end-to-end manufacturing capabilities in Canada is creating approximately 300 highly skilled jobs in advanced biomanufacturing, further positioning Canada as a key global hub for life sciences and vaccine innovation, with the talent and capability to grow.
About Fluzone® High-Dose
Influenza poses a serious threat to older Canadians, who account for the majority of flu-related hospitalizations each year1. Containing four times the amount of antigen compared to standard-dose influenza vaccines, Fluzone® High-Dose is specifically designed to provide protection for adults 65 years and older2.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people's lives and delivering compelling growth. We apply our deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world, with an innovative pipeline that could benefit millions more.
Sanofi is the largest biopharma manufacturer in Canada, and is investing, innovating and operating across the full life sciences value chain. We are 2,000+ employees strong, invest 20% of our revenue annually in biopharma research, and are on track to deliver over $2 billion in new infrastructure investments by 2028. We also recently announced a $294 million investment to expand our AI Centre of Excellence in Toronto3, enabling us to accelerate innovation for patients. Sanofi is committed to our community and is working with partners to foster a long-term sustainable ecosystem and build a healthier Canada.
Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY
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1 Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report: updated on September 4, 2026. Government of Canada. Available at: https://health-infobase.canada.ca/respiratory-virus-surveillance/influenza.html |
2 Product Monograph. Fluzone High-Dose. Sanofi Vaccines Canada Limited. April 22, 2025. |
SOURCE SANOFI
For more information and media inquiries, please contact: Julien Guyomard | 416-434-3143 | [email protected]; Alison Akkerman | 416-434-5853 | [email protected]
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