Press Room

Press Release / Jun 16, 2016

Hovione announces the groundbreaking expansion plans of its New Jersey Facility

Hovione announced today that it held on June 8th the official groundbreaking for the expansion of its New Jersey facility in East Windsor, USA

New Jersey Site Expansion CDMO Continuous Manufacturing | Hovione

Loures, Portugal, June 15, 2016 – Hovione announced today that it held on June 8th the official groundbreaking for the expansion of its New Jersey facility in East Windsor, USA.

The expansion will add an additional 30,600 ft² (2,843 m²) to the existing 24,000ft² (2,211m²) facility. It will introduce a new commercial spray dryer unit to complement the existing pilot unit and this installation will be specifically designed to handle potent drug substances (APIs). In addition the Hovione New Jersey facility will more than double its capacity to manufacture drug substance. The expansion is expected to add approximately 60 new jobs to the current workforce over the next three years.

“The start of the construction activities to expand our site in East Windsor is a very exciting moment for us and for our customers. This is an important step to strengthen our continued commitment to the pharmaceutical industry and to the patients by offering innovative technologies and services. The site will be unique in offering at a single location drug substance, spray drying, hot melt extrusion and drug product manufacturing services using innovative continuous manufacturing technology. The state and especially the local government have been extremely supportive and we are happy to strengthen our presence in East Windsor by creating highly qualified jobs in the local community” said Dr. Marco Gil, General Manager, Hovione New Jersey.

“This investment is part of the company’s strategy to increase its global development and commercial capacity which will meet the increasing demands of Hovione’s customers in the API and Spray drying services. It will also include the addition of a continuous drug product manufacturing capability to its offering through the partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced earlier this year” said Kristine Senft, Vice President Marketing and Sales. 

The start-up of the operation is expected to take place in April 2017 for the drug substance and spray drying services while the continuous drug product manufacturing is planned for the end of 2017.

 

About Hovione
Hovione is an international company with over 50 years’ experience in the development and compliant manufacture of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Drug Product Intermediates. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland, and Portugal, and development laboratories in Lisbon and New Jersey the company focuses on the most demanding customers in the most regulated markets. The company also offers branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative new drugs, and is able to support highly potent compounds. In the inhalation area Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services.

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The new company, which will be located in Portugal, will focus on the development of drug delivery solutions for emerging drug modalities. Cell and gene therapies represent a paradigm shift in modern medicine, offering unprecedented opportunities to address previously untreatable diseases. ViSync solutions will help address some of the manufacturing challenges caused by the complex nature of new modalities, with special focus on stabilization, cell or tissue targeting and drug payload delivery.  Lisbon, 9th May 2024 – The specialist integrated CDMO and leader in pharmaceutical spray drying and particle engineering, and iBET (Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica), a private not-for-profit research intensive SME in the area of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, today announced the creation of ViSync Technologies, a new joint venture located in Oeiras, close to Lisbon. The newly formed company will focus on developing innovative technologies and scalable solutions to help pharmaceutical companies address formulation and manufacturing challenges in transformative cell and gene therapies. Hovione has a strong track record in industrializing new technologies and supporting Pharma Companies with their clinical and commercial volume manufacturing needs, while iBET has a strong biological background and a global reputation for its scientific knowledge of the new therapeutic modalities space, particularly cell and gene therapy.  New modalities, such as gene and cell therapies, RNA drugs and other complex biologics, are a rapidly growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry. They promise to bring breakthroughs to the treatment of a wide range of diseases and conditions, including cancer, genetic disorders, rare diseases and neurological conditions.  While this rapid growth has been driven by remarkable efficacy in addressing unmet clinical needs, the complex nature of the new modalities brings challenges, including limited drug administration options, immunogenic responses and off-target effects, issues with high dose delivery and high costs. The poor stability of these drugs is also an issue, resulting in the need for cold supply chains. 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The first step will be to assemble a team who possesses the knowledge, expertise, and ingenuity needed to navigate the complexities ahead." “The establishment of ViSync in partnership with Hovione represents a pivotal moment in iBET’s dedication to pioneering research in advanced therapies,” stated Dr. Paula Alves, iBET’s CEO. “The immense promise of these new modalities is at our reach and we are delighted to join forces with Hovione, a globally recognized leader in technological industrialization and drug delivery. In this common endeavor, we will gather the scientific and technical competences and skills to support our clients and partners in delivering groundbreaking therapies to patients globally.” ViSync will develop its own lab facility in Lisbon and expects to be able to start its research and development work by the end of 2024.   About Hovione Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing operations. As a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) it has a fully integrated offering of services for drug substances, drug product intermediates and drug products. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and manufacturing, capsule filling and devices.     Hovione's culture is based on innovation, quality and dependability. 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