The funding is part of the province’s Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing strategy that encourages businesses to research and develop commercial pharmaceutical products and medical device manufacturing.
The new 7,000 square-foot facility will support as many a six Greater Victoria-based companies access the equipment and labs needed to take their prototypes and products in an industrial setting. “Medical innovation is moving closer to the patient’s bedside,” said VISL president Samuel Mercer. “In the past you may have seen a few companies in Greater Victoria here and there, now you’ll see them in one place collaborating, and you’ll see a hive of activity with shared resources.”
One Victoria-based company that will benefit from the wet-lab is Axolotl Biosciences. The small start-up creates bio-inks that can be used to 3-D print human tissue. The tissue is currently used around the world for pharmaceutical and cancer research.