A lawsuit over a failed plan to produce tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses at a Winnipeg plant that sought billions of dollars in damages has been discontinued.
An Alberta company, Providence Therapeutic Holdings, began discussions with American firm Emergent Biosolutions to develop and produce the vaccine at a Winnipeg facility, operated by Emergent’s Canadian affiliate, in January 2021. The plan never came to fruition.
The statement of claim filed June 13 by Alberta lawyers David Bishop and Ricki Johnson in Manitoba Court of King’s Bench on Providence’s behalf, seeking just over US$3 billion, alleged Emergent misrepresented itself to secure an agreement to develop and make the vaccine.
JESSE BOILY / FREE PRESS FILES
Providence Therapeutic Holdings, began discussions with American firm Emergent Biosolutions to develop and produce the vaccine at a Winnipeg facility, operated by Emergent’s Canadian affiliate, in January 2021.
But on Aug. 8, Bishop filed a notice of discontinuance in court, indicating Providence was withdrawing the action against Emergent.
No further details of why the lawsuit was dropped are included in the court filings, and neither company immediately returned requests for comment Thursday.
It’s unclear whether a settlement or other agreement was reached out of court.
A spokeswoman for Emergent, Assal Hellmer, told the Free Press in June that the company believed Providence’s allegations were without merit.
As Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout moved slowly in early 2021, Manitoba’s then-Progressive Conservative premier Brian Pallister said the province would agree to buy two million doses of vaccine from Providence, if approved for use in Canada.
Providence lost its shot at streamlined regulatory approval before the end of 2022, it claimed in its June filings, alleging the company lost the opportunity to bring its vaccine to market in 2021 or 2022 as a result of Emergent not manufacturing the vaccine as agreed upon.
erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Erik Pindera
Reporter
Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik.
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