Company Overview
Alberta Cell Therapy Manufacturing (ACTM) is driving the future of cell therapy manufacturing in Canada. Located at the University of Alberta, ACTM is a state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility dedicated to helping innovators bring life-changing biotherapies from the research bench to the patient bedside.
As the only GMP-compliant facility of its kind in Western Canada, ACTM provides end-to-end support—from process development and technology transfer to GMP manufacturing and aseptic fill-finish—for academic, hospital, and industry partners. By combining scientific excellence with regulatory precision, ACTM bridges innovation and clinical application, empowering Canadian researchers and companies to advance new treatments safely and efficiently.
Our highly skilled, multidisciplinary team brings together decades of experience in quality systems, regulatory affairs, and bioprocessing. This collaborative expertise enables ACTM to operate at the highest standards while fostering innovation that is both patient-focused and impact-driven.
Major Developments
ACTM recently unveiled Lucy—a cutting-edge automated aseptic fill-finish system imported from Italy and the first of its kind in Alberta. Lucy represents a major leap forward in small-batch, sterile biotherapeutic manufacturing, enabling the precise and reproducible filling of advanced therapy products such as cell and gene therapies, vaccines and biologics.
This transformative capability was made possible through funding from Striving for Pandemic Preparedness – The Alberta Research Consortium (SPP-ARC) and Prairie Hub for Pandemic Preparedness. Lucy strengthens Alberta’s biomanufacturing ecosystem and positions ACTM as a key player in Canada’s national strategy to build domestic capacity for advanced therapies.
ACTM is currently collaborating with clinical and academic partners on projects targeting immune regulation, transplantation tolerance, and cancer immunotherapy. Each of these initiatives moves Alberta closer to a future where cutting-edge therapies are discovered, developed, and manufactured right here at home.
Upcoming Events
ACTM leadership continues to play an active role in advancing Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity by collaborating nationally to strengthen skills development, innovation, and partnership opportunities.
Overcoming Challenges
Building GMP manufacturing capacity within an academic environment takes vision, determination, and collaboration. ACTM has successfully met this challenge by creating a robust quality culture, recruiting a talented and diverse team, and forging strong partnerships that unite research, industry, and government.
Today, ACTM stands as a model of what’s possible when innovation meets purpose. Through its work, the team is not only advancing Alberta’s leadership in advanced therapies—it is also helping shape a healthier future for patients across Canada and around the world.
Learn more at www.ualberta.ca/actm
