Page 13 - Synapse Brochure 2023

CONNECT WITH CANADA'S LEADING HEALTH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM SYNAPSE LIFE SCIENCE CONSORTIUM

Success Stories

From manufacturing to research and Hamilton is perfect for us.
development, four new companies are

solving important problems here in Hamilton. Watching the news in the spring For this reason, FERO was one of a
of 2020, Sabrina Fiorellino, CEO handful of companies chosen by the
of Fero knew that she had to do Ontario government to receive direct
something. Every day, chyrons were investment to support the growth
full of headlines about full hospitals, of their business.
full ICUs, and strained health care
systems. “I thought, ‘I can solve this In September 2023, Fero took over
global pandemic.’” a 300,000 square foot manufacturing
Without McMaster, Fero International, founded shortly plant in Hamilton. For Fiorellino,
Hamilton made sense: their first
AtomVie would not exist. thereafter, designs and manufactures manufacturing partner was here,
modular, volumetric, specialized and Hamilton offers the sort of
infrastructure. Their prefabricated connectedness that few other cities
A contract development and buildings can offer emergency or can. “We quickly came to understand
manufacturing organization (CDMO) expedited facility space to hospitals, that the access to labour and the
in radiopharmaceuticals, AtomVie is schools, and disaster zones. By far the supply chain is very good,” she says.
building a new home for themselves main appeal is the speed: Fiorellino
in Hamilton. Spun out of McMaster- 10 times the capacity. “Being able to says that while material and labour “We want 80% of our inputs -
based Centre for Probe Development manufacture all in one place, and not costs are the same, Fero can deliver materials, labour - to be within
and Commercialization, AtomVie in between different buildings will be ready-built infrastructure much faster 100 kilometers of us,” Fiorellino
specializes in manufacturing incredible for production,” says Paquin. than typical construction. explains. “Hamilton is perfect for us.”
radiopharmaceuticals in preparation
for clinical trials. Plus, AtomVie’s new home is
right around the corner from the
Currently spread out across campus, John C. Munro International
AtomVie is building a more permanent Airport. Paquin hopes that the same
home in Hamilton - a 64,000 square transportation infrastructure that
foot manufacturing facility that will giants like Amazon, UPS, and FedEx
serve customers around the globe. rely on at the Hamilton airport will
“McMaster has been an excellent also provide reliable transportation
host,” says Bruce Paquin, AtomVie’s for AtomVie’s materials.
CEO. “But we need more space.”
Since AtomVie uses small amounts
AtomVie’s new production facility of radioactive materials, there is only
will enable mass production. The a short time before those materials
new facility will be 4.5 times the size decay and become useless. “When we
of their current, scattered offices ship 5-day drugs to Australia we have
and labs, while offering more than zero room for error,” explains Paquin.

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