The podcast "The Next Discovery" is a six-episode series created by Observador, a leading Portuguese digital newspaper and radio station, in partnership with Hovione.

From hard-to-produce antibiotics to innovative therapies, Hovione uses complex and sustainable chemistry to bring safe medicines to patients around the world.

What if some of the scientific discoveries that could improve the lives of millions of people were happening right now in Portugal? “The Next Discovery.”

Listen to the second episode of the podcast here, featuring Rui Loureiro, scientist at Hovione.

[English transcription]

From hard-to-produce antibiotics to innovative therapies, Hovione uses complex and sustainable chemistry to bring safe medicines to patients around the world.

What if some of the scientific discoveries that could improve the lives of millions of people were happening right now in Portugal? “The Next Discovery.”

Nelson Ferreira (NF): Welcome to the podcast “The Next Discovery.” This is a partnership between Rádio Observador and Hovione—a six-episode series where we open the doors of a Portuguese-founded multinational pharmaceutical company to share real stories of science, innovation, and global impact.

I am Nelson Ferreira, and in the first episode we explored the story of the basement where it all began more than 65 years ago. Today, we will understand what happens inside this company. We will talk about complex chemistry, because that is where the journey of many medicines that pass through Hovione begins.

We will discover how laboratory science becomes industrial processes, how sustainability is part of this transformation, and how all of this contributes to producing medicines that truly help improve and save lives.

To guide us on this journey, I am joined today by Rui Loureiro, a scientist at Hovione’s Research and Development Center. Hello, Rui. Welcome to Rádio Observador.

NF: Rui, most people may never have heard of Hovione, but they may be taking a medicine where Hovione played an important role. Where exactly do you fit into this long journey that takes a medicine to the patient?

Rui Loureiro (RL): Hello, Nelson, good morning—and thank you for the question.
The path for a medicine to reach a patient is long. It starts with producing a very small amount of a drug, which through development eventually needs to be produced in kilograms.
Let me give an example. Imagine baking cookies. When you buy cookies at the supermarket, someone first made the initial batch at home—but then they needed a partner to scale those cookies to an industrial level.

NF: A factory, exactly.

RL: Exactly. That is where Hovione comes in. We are that partner for the pharmaceutical industry—helping turn one cookie into many cookies that eventually reach patients.

NF: For those listening who are not familiar with this field, people often talk about APIs in the pharmaceutical industry. I had to look it up myself. What is it, and why has Hovione focused so much on it since early on?

RL: API can mean different things depending on the field—for example, in IT it means something entirely different.
In the pharmaceutical industry, API stands for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient. In Portuguese, princípio ativo—the component that treats or cures the disease.
Using the cookie analogy again: a chocolate cookie has many ingredients—but the chocolate is what defines it. The API is exactly that in a medicine: a small but essential part that delivers the therapeutic effect.
Even though tablets contain multiple substances, producing something like a 10 mg tablet of the active ingredient alone is difficult—so other components are added to create the final form.

NF: Over many years, Hovione also specialized in complex generics. How did that experience help you move into working with companies developing entirely new medicines?

RL: That was a very important step. Developing complex generics means the chemistry required is challenging—it may involve very low temperatures or tightly controlled conditions to ensure we produce the desired result and not something unwanted.
Those early capabilities—developing antibiotics and other materials—led the market to recognize Hovione’s expertise.
Ultimately, chemistry involves combining building blocks. If someone proves they can assemble the most complex ones, the industry will take notice. That is how we became recognized as a trusted partner for complex pharmaceuticals.

NF: I am curious about this idea of “complex chemistry.” You often compare chemistry to cooking—what distinguishes traditional chemistry from the complex chemistry you do at Hovione?

RL: Let me simplify for clarity.
Complex chemistry depends on the reagents and solvents used. The starting materials may be difficult to transform and may require very specific conditions. The resulting product may also be unstable and require careful handling.
Using cooking as an analogy: simple chemistry is like making jelly—you mix powder with hot water and let it set. Complex chemistry is more like making ice cream—it involves a more intricate process, and many people prefer to leave it to specialists.

NF: Another fascinating challenge: in the lab, you work at milligram or gram scale, but factories must produce tons. How do you scale from a teaspoon to a truckload without ruining the recipe?

RL: That is indeed our biggest daily challenge.
Scaling up requires understanding every variable in the process. Going from a small kitchen setup to industrial production is not just about bigger equipment—it requires entirely different systems and expertise.
We work with multidisciplinary teams—chemists, engineers, analytical specialists—to control every variable that affects product quality.
In a typical GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) process, there are 4–5 main steps. And across those steps, we may need to control around 350 variables to ensure the final product meets quality standards for patients.

NF: When people think of chemistry, they often think of something negative. But Hovione has been developing more sustainable approaches. What does sustainable chemistry mean in practice?

RL: Sustainability is a daily priority. We design processes with sustainability in mind from the very beginning.
We follow green chemistry principles—avoiding harmful reagents whenever possible. And when that is not possible, we apply the “four Rs”: reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover.
For example, just as the paint industry moved from solvent-based to water-based systems, we are also moving toward chemistry in water. This reduces the carbon footprint of our processes.
We are also exploring micellar chemistry, flow chemistry, and even reactions without solvents at all—similar to grinding ingredients together with a mortar and pestle. These approaches help reduce waste and improve efficiency.

NF: Looking to the future—will chemistry remain our best tool to save lives, and in a more sustainable way?

RL: Absolutely. That is what motivates me every day.
Artificial intelligence is already helping identify targets and design molecules—but those molecules still need to be produced.
That is where chemistry remains essential. It is the foundation for creating and improving medicines. Innovation and sustainability will go hand in hand—and that is the path we are committed to.

NF: Rui Loureiro, thank you for helping simplify chemistry and for showing this more sustainable side of science.
This was the second episode of “The Next Discovery.” In the coming weeks, we will continue exploring this world. In the next episode, we will look at the future of particle engineering.
 

You can listen to the next episodes on observador.pt and on your usual podcast platform.

See you at the next discovery.