Governments seek buyer as Quebec COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Medicago set to close

The Quebec government says it's looking to find a buyer for Medicago Inc., the Quebec-based COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer that will be shut down by parent company Mitsubishi Chemical.

Quebec Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said Friday the province has had preliminary talks with potential buyers in the pharmaceutical sector to keep Medicago's expertise and skilled workforce in Quebec.

He said both the Quebec and federal governments would be willing to put in money to secure a deal.

"We can't operate it ourselves; the government will not be the main shareholder," Fitzgibbon said. "But if there is a pharmaceutical company that considers it's worth continuing, we're ready to help."

Mitsubishi Chemical said Thursday it would stop marketing the Medicago-produced Covifenz vaccine, which is plant-based and was approved by Health Canada one year ago for adults aged 18 to 64.

The Japanese chemical company said it had been preparing to commercially produce the Covifenz vaccine but decided against doing so because of the "significant changes" in the COVID-19 vaccine environment.

The company said it would dissolve Medicago because it is no longer "viable" to continue marketing its products.

"In light of significant changes to the COVID-19 vaccine landscape since the approval of Covifenz, and after a comprehensive review of the current global demand and market environment for COVID-19 vaccines and Medicago’s challenges in transitioning to commercial-scale production, the (company) has determined that it will not pursue the commercialization of Covifenz," Mitsubishi Chemical said in a statement.

Following the announcement, Medicago issued a statement thanking its employees.

"The Medicago team has pushed scientific boundaries and we know that they will continue to make incredible contributions to innovation and biopharmaceutical’s sector."

Canada invested $173 million in Medicago in 2020 to support development of the Covifenz vaccine and help Medicago expand its production facility in Quebec City.

On Thursday, Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne told reporters the federal government is in "solution mode."

"Our first order of business is really to try to find a partner who can help us preserve the jobs, preserve the technology and the intellectual property," Champagne said.

The minister acknowledged that mRNA vaccine technology for COVID-19 became dominant as it "seemed to be most effective."

But Medicago's plant-based vaccine was still "promising," Champagne said.

"Everyone agreed that the plant-based vaccine could very well help in a future pandemic," Champagne said.

Speaking to reporters on Montreal's South Shore Friday, Fitzgibbon said the company informed the province at the end of December it intended to pull the plug on Medicago.

In May 2015, Quebec and Ottawa announced loans of $60 million and $8 million, respectively, for the construction of a complex in the Quebec City region to house Medicago's activities.

"The challenge is not (getting the loan repaid), it's how we can save the jobs, save this company," Fitzgibbon said.

While Canada authorized Medicago's vaccine in February 2022, it was rejected for emergency use by the World Health Organization in March because tobacco company Philip Morris was a minority shareholder in the company, contravening a policy adopted in 2005 by the United Nations agency.

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand said on Twitter he was saddened by the closure of the company.

"My thoughts are with the families who learned some very sad news," Marchand said Thursday evening. "We have to roll up our sleeves to keep all this expertise in the field of health innovation in Quebec City."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2023.