Microbix Expanding QAPs Production Capacity

Build-out to Support Tenfold Increase Now Underway

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, Microbix), an award-winning life sciences innovator and exporter, announces that it has begun a build-out of its second facility that is initially intended to support a tenfold increase of production capacity for its QAPs quality assessment products – which support the accuracy of clinical laboratory testing including, but not limited to, support for tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19 disease. 

Microbix’s current maximum QAPs production capacity is limited by the space allotted in its wholly-owned facility that is primarily dedicated to making its range of antigens for immunoassay/serological test production. That capacity will be exceeded if Microbix achieves its growth objectives for QAPs.

The capacity expansion now underway is taking place at Microbix’s adjacent administrative, production, and warehousing facility. This second site was first occupied by Microbix in May, 2019. From that time, the express intent has been to dedicate a portion of its space for greater production of swab and vial-based QAPs – initially built and equipped for scaled-up manual-based production and subsequently moving to full-scale automation for far greater productivity, all under ISO 13485 standards.

The initial manual process based scale-up will provide ten-times the space that is currently dedicated to QAPs production at Microbix’s owned facility. It will be comprised of contained areas dedicated to formulation, filling or coating, capping or sealing, labeling, and final packaging of QAPs products. Additional and fully-dedicated quality control laboratory spaces are also being created to support the greater QAPs production. The new spaces will be added to existing establishment licenses with Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) once completed and validated.

The expansion is being funded from part of the proceeds of Microbix’s private placement financing of January, 2020. Further assistance is being provided by the FedDev Ontario program of the Government of Canada, as announced in July, 2019. The total cost of this initial phase of Microbix’s QAPs production expansion is estimated at $0.825 million, and is expected to be completed by the end of August, 2020 with validation and commissioning undertaken as soon as possible thereafter.