Calgary company says feds shut them out, now taking mRNA vaccine development elsewhere
Posted May 1, 2021 10:01 am.
Last Updated May 2, 2021 6:38 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) — A Calgary-based pharmaceutical company developing one of the world’s only mRNA vaccines says it’s taking its business elsewhere because the federal and provincial governments have shut them out.
Providence Therapeutics CEO Brad Sorenson says he can do more good outside of Canada at this stage than he can within it.
Sorenson says when Providence Therapeutics made a proposal to the federal government last March, their product was one month behind Moderna’s. He believes the company could have produced up to 50 million doses in Canada by July 2021.
“Canada is more than content to strain worldwide supply, rather than adding to worldwide production,” Sorenson said.
“You will see that it is superior to both Pfizer and Moderna.”
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Manitoba struck an independent deal earlier this year for two million doses once it’s approved. Results from Phase 1 trials are expected in early May, but Sorenson said that doesn’t change much in their plan to go elsewhere.
“We’ve got other folks that are interested in it and we’re moving on.”
