Biopharma company GSK grants $1 million to Halifax-based Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV)
Grant recognizes CCfV's national leadership and Nova Scotian contribution to Canada's research capabilities, expected to attract top talent.
MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 31, 2023 /CNW/ - GSK announces a $1 million grant to strengthen the Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV)'s position in the national infectious disease research landscape. The private funding will be a catalyst for growth of the Halifax-based centre, increasing employment opportunities and bolstering top-quality research and pandemic preparedness locally and nationally.
Since 2007, CCfV has made extensive contributions to vaccine research nationwide and is a driver of both Nova Scotia's health research industry and the regional economy. With this funding, the Center plans to expand capabilities by adding to their more than 100 full-time staff and providing enhanced training, equipment, and facilities. This growth will propel research that impacts local, national and global health outcomes.
"Today's announcement is a testament to the Canadian Center for Vaccinology's capabilities and robust track record, propelling leading life-changing research and innovation with tangible positive impact on the health of Canadians and of people around the world," says Marni Freeman, Vice President and Country Medical Director, GSK Canada. "At GSK we believe that we have a collective responsibility to ensure that centres such as these are supported to maintain and drive excellence in research, to link innovation to patients' eventual access, and to attract and retain top talent in Canada."
GSK has been one of CCfV's top corporate research partners going back to the late 1990s. During the H1N1 Influenza pandemic, the three GSK-funded clinical trials at CCfV made GSK the largest contract-holder with the Center at the time. To date, GSK has funded more than 50 studies at CCfV.
"To have a large organization such as GSK recognize the importance of contributing to the stability of CCfV as a whole, not just funding individual studies, will have big impact for us," says CCfV director Scott Halperin. "This funding will give us the means to begin expanding our impact even further, and properly invest in the infrastructure, training and staffing we need to keep moving forward."