A major pharmaceutical company is interested in establishing a processing facility in Prince Edward Island. Baker Cummins Inc, a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of the Miami-based IVAX Corporation, is considering an operation at the former Strait Crossing fabrication yard in Borden-Carleton.
IVAX manufactures and markets generic and branded pharmaceutical products in more than 70 countries. The PEI processing plant would be focussed solely on extracting paclitaxel from the native plant ground hemlock. As the top-selling cancer drug in the world, paclitaxel is used primarily in chemotherapy treatments for breast, ovarian and certain lung cancers.
PEI's central location in the region and the abundance of ground hemlock in the Maritimes is a major reason for the corporation's interest in PEI.
Prior to finalizing plans, a public consultation is being held in the community to discuss the environmental aspects of the proposed facility and the activities associated with it.
The Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, February 20 at 5:30 pm in the Strait Crossing Administration Building, 87 Industry Drive, Borden-Carleton.