Center for Aquaculture Technologies expands research footprint with new acquisition

The Center for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT) has finalized a deal with Elanco Animal Health Incorporated to acquire a 46,000-square-foot aquatic animal research facility in Victoria, Prince Edward Island.

The acquisition, which includes expansive, purpose-built, wet and dry lab space, is a step towards CAT’s efforts to build its reputation as a globally recognized health and nutrition contract research organization. The addition of the Victoria facility will triple the company’s Canadian footprint and expand the already best-in-class research services in health and nutrition, allowing the company to double the number of research trials conducted on an annual basis.

“We are experiencing exciting growth in our aquaculture health and nutrition research services business and have immediate plans for use of the facility,” said CAT chief executive officer Dr. John Buchanan confirming the close of the transaction on Feb 21^st. “Expanding our footprint will allow our team to meet the demands of the global aquaculture community on a larger scale. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our offerings and add to our world-class team.”

The company also announced the hiring of Dr. Jason Cleaversmith as vice-president of health and nutrition and general manager of Canadian operations. He brings more than 17 years of experience in aquaculture management and will oversee operations at the new facility.

”The Victoria site has a long history of setting the gold standard for pivotal regulatory trials and innovation, and CAT is fortunate to have been able to acquire this state- of- the- art facility, along with several staff who are well versed in operating in a quality-centric, highly regulated environment. This is a timely and exciting addition to the CAT facility network,” said Cleaversmith.

The Victoria facility is the only other privately held Aquatic Animal Pathogen Containment level 3 (AQC3/BSL3) certified lab space in Canada. With the acquisition, CAT will oversee the largest amount of AQC3 certified square footage in the world, enabling the company to scale its research activities involving domestic and imported aquatic animals, and aquatic animal pathogens. The Victoria site will operate in addition to the CAT Research Aquarium and Labs in Souris, PEI, and San Diego, California. The Government of Prince Edward Island will support the project with a repayable loan of $4 million from the PEI Century Fund.

“The Center for Aquaculture Technologies provides vital research and development for the aquaculture industry in our province,” said Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture Matthew MacKay. “We are proud to support CAT’s expansion, that will keep jobs in the community.”