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 particle engineering to global leadership in spray drying, discover the technology that enables oral medicines to be effectively absorbed by the body and help treat millions of people.

What if some of the scientific breakthroughs that could improve the lives of millions of people were happening right now in Portugal? Welcome to "The Next Discovery.

Listen to the third episode of the podcast here, featuring Filipe Gaspar, VP Technology Intensification, and José Luís Santos, Strategic Business Management Senior Director, at Hovione.

[English transcription]

Nelson Ferreira (NF): Welcome to The Next Discovery. This is a partnership between Rádio Observador and Hovione, a six-episode series in which we show how science developed in Portugal has a real impact around the world. I’m Nelson Ferreira, and in the last episode we explored how APIs—the active pharmaceutical ingredients in medicines—are produced. Today, we move to the next stage: how do we transform that chemical powder into a medicine that our bodies can actually absorb? To help explain this science, I’m joined by Filipe Gaspar and José Luís Santos, who were involved in the creation and development of Hovione’s particle engineering division. Welcome to you both. Filipe, let me start with you.

NF: When we hear about a new medicine, we usually think about the molecule that was discovered. But why isn’t that discovery alone enough? What exactly is particle engineering, and what role does it play in turning a promising molecule into a medicine that is truly effective?

Filipe Gaspar (FG): Nelson, the active ingredients in many modern medicines are not effective in the form in which they are produced through chemical or biological processes. To work properly in the body, they need to undergo additional transformations.
For example, some medicines must be protected from the acidity of the stomach so they can later be released in the intestine, where the environment is less acidic and absorption into the bloodstream can occur.
Others require very specific particle sizes. This is the case with inhalation powders, often used to treat asthma or chronic bronchitis. If the particles are too large, they become trapped in the upper airways and never reach the alveoli, where they need to be absorbed. On the other hand, if they are too small, they may simply be exhaled before absorption occurs.
Finding the right particle size is therefore essential to ensuring an effective treatment.
Another remarkable example is modern oral medicines, which often need to be converted into a different form—the amorphous form—so that the body can absorb them properly.
Particle engineering makes all of this possible, overcoming many of these limitations by improving drug absorption, distribution, and therapeutic effectiveness.

NF: I believe that in 2003 Hovione made a bold decision and invested in spray drying technology. José, for our listeners, could you explain in simple terms what this technology is, what problem it solves, and why it was so revolutionary at the time?

José Luís Santos (JLS): First, it’s worth noting that spray drying has been used for decades in other industries.
Think, for example, about powdered milk, instant coffee, or the powdered detergent we use in our washing machines. In all these cases, we start with a liquid—milk, coffee, or a soap-based paste—and transform it into a very fine powder that dissolves almost instantly when mixed with water.
This transformation is achieved through spray drying.
To explain it simply, imagine a very large chamber, something like a giant hair dryer. Inside, the liquid we want to dry is converted into a spray—a kind of mist—creating extremely small droplets.
These microscopic droplets are then dried very rapidly using hot gas inside that giant dryer. In just milliseconds, the liquid evaporates, leaving behind a powder made of tiny particles with properties that, as Filipe mentioned, make them highly soluble.
The powders we produce in the pharmaceutical industry are physically similar to powdered milk, instant coffee, or powdered detergent.
Now, why was this technology revolutionary for pharmaceuticals?
Just as spray drying made it possible to preserve milk for months without refrigeration or gave us coffee that can be prepared in seconds, pharmaceutical spray drying made it possible to create medicines with improved therapeutic effectiveness because they became more soluble.
Without access to spray drying technology, many of these medicines would simply not have had a viable path to reach the market and ultimately patients.

NF: Filipe, we now have a better understanding of what happens in the factory, but I’m curious about what happens inside a patient’s body. Can you give us some concrete examples? What happens when a molecule looks promising in the laboratory, but the body cannot absorb it effectively?

FG: Of course. As surprising as it may sound, most medicines taken orally—tablets and capsules—are actually less soluble in water than glass or marble.
Since our gastric and intestinal fluids consist primarily of water, these medicines, in their original crystalline form, dissolve very poorly and can pass through the digestive system without being absorbed into the bloodstream. That would make them completely ineffective.
Spray drying solves this problem by transforming them into an amorphous form that dissolves much more easily and can be absorbed by the body.
A simple analogy would be to compare an ice cube with snow. Both are solid water, but snow melts much faster because of its structure.
Spray drying applies a similar principle to medicines, significantly enhancing their ability to dissolve and be absorbed.

NF: José Luís, some of this may sound very technical to our listeners, but the outcome is ultimately that people live longer and healthier lives because of these technologies. Are there concrete examples of medicines that only reached the market and patients because of this technology?

JLS: Absolutely. One of the most significant examples involving Hovione was the COVID-19 treatment effort. Hovione participated in the production of Captisol, a compound that was essential in the manufacture of Remdesivir, Gilead’s antiviral medicine, which became one of the few treatments authorized for COVID-19.
Another important example is the treatment of hepatitis C. Around 10 to 12 years ago, the disease was virtually eradicated in many parts of the world thanks to new medicines whose manufacturing processes relied on spray drying technology. This enabled those therapies to achieve the solubility and therapeutic effect required.
These are just two examples.
At Hovione—and across the industry—we are working with a growing number of medicines, including treatments for oncology, cystic fibrosis, and many other diseases that benefit from spray drying technology and the advantages it offers.

NF: From what I understand, this technology will continue to play an important role in future discoveries as well. Filipe, when Hovione invested in spray drying, it was a technology that was almost inaccessible and rarely used in the pharmaceutical industry. What did Hovione see that others didn’t? And how did what seemed like a risky bet eventually position the company as a global leader in this field?

FG: When we invested in the technology in 2003, we had already identified one or two opportunities.
As you said, it was a technology that was practically nonexistent among companies like Hovione that provide services to the pharmaceutical industry.
We decided to invest before there was established market demand, which meant taking a significant risk. We were talking about many millions of euros—the cost of an industrial-scale spray dryer.
Afterward, we actively developed the market. The demand we saw, particularly the need to improve the bioavailability of oral medicines, confirmed our highest expectations.
We have made—and continue to make—ongoing investments in science, technology, and industrial capacity. Over the years, these investments have consolidated Hovione’s position as a global reference in spray drying.
Now, we must continue innovating to maintain that position.

NF: Based on the examples we’ve been hearing, that doesn’t seem likely to be a problem for Hovione. We also know that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Spray drying appears to be another example of that. Hovione seems to have strong ties with academia and universities through master’s and doctoral programs conducted in industrial settings. Is this collaboration the secret to staying at the forefront?

JLS: Yes. Our connection with academia has always been very important and continues to be so. Today, we have more than 300 people working in research and development roles, and we maintain strong ties with the academic community.
Hovione is one of the largest private employers of PhDs in Portugal, with approximately 120 PhDs on staff, and we actively promote projects in partnership with universities and research centers.

FG: I would also like to mention the Hovione Research Program.

NF: What is that?

FG: It is Hovione’s research program. It is a collaborative initiative with Portuguese academic institutions and has been active for more than 15 years.
To give you an idea, at any given time we typically have around 10 PhD candidates and between 20 and 30 master’s students conducting their work in an industrial environment simultaneously.
Most of these researchers end up joining Hovione after completing their studies, integrating into the same areas in which they carried out their research.
They are a reflection of this collaboration with academia, which has been a key driver not only of our ability to innovate but also of our capacity to attract and retain highly qualified talent.

NF: Filipe Gaspar and José Luís Santos, thank you both for showing us that behind every medicine there is an enormous amount of science, innovation, and talent. And often it is invisible technologies—such as the spray drying technology we discussed in greater detail today—that make a difference in the lives of millions of people. This concludes the third episode of The Next Discovery.

Next week, we take the next step and discover how Hovione challenged industry tradition by introducing continuous tablet manufacturing.

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

See you at the next discovery.