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Article / Apr 02, 2026

Simplifying continuous operations: lowering the barrier to faster development

Manufacturing Chemist, 2 April 2026

Continuous Tableting at Hovione

Continuous Tableting at Hovione´s facility in Portugal. (Photo: Hovione)

Continuous manufacturing has long promised faster development, improved process understanding and, in the absence of scale-up, smoother commercialization. For many pharmaceutical R&D teams, those benefits are well understood. What still holds them back, however, is not scepticism about the concept; it’s the perceived effort required to implement it

To increase the adoption of continuous manufacturing, particularly for tablet compression applications, GEA and Hovione have been working together to overcome these hurdles and demonstrate how solutions such as SimpleCT can accelerate development, provide greater flexibility and simplify production. Manufacturing Chemist spoke to Anthony Tantuccio (pictured), Fellow Scientist, Continuous Tableting/Technology Intensification at Hovione, to find out more. 

Simplifying continuous operations: lowering the barrier to faster development

Continuous manufacturing (CM) solutions can accelerate product development, reduce costs, improve operational economics and make production more agile with less downtime. With advanced controls and tightly linked process data to product output, it enables more consistent tablet quality. “It’s a more efficient and flexible mode of manufacturing,” notes Tantuccio, “offering consistent and reliable tablet production with fewer operators and less waste of precious active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and raw materials.”

“Yet,” he adds, “running a continuous direct compression (CDC) line during development can often be a daunting task.” Any inherent complexity stems from managing parallel, integrated operations that all occur at the same time (as opposed to a single unit operation). “Even relatively straightforward duties — such as collecting samples, changing process conditions or running Residence Time Distribution (RTD) tests — can become multi-person activities with a high potential for error.”

SimpleCT focuses on simplifying these development-critical tasks, not by removing flexibility but by embedding automation, structure and guidance directly into the equipment and control systems. The result is a toolset designed for how R&D teams develop continuous tableting — mapping a design space and generating calibration samples within a single run — while reducing manual co-ordination and increasing confidence in the data generated. “Rather than treating continuous development as a scaled-down version of commercial manufacturing,” explains Tantuccio, “SimpleCT recognises that development has different priorities: rapid learning, efficient experimentation and robust process insight.”

Accelerating development cycles and time to market

One of the most immediate benefits of SimpleCT for R&D teams is speed. Development programmes on continuous lines can be significantly shortened when routine yet complex tasks are automated and synchronised across the system. “During many development scenarios,” says Tantuccio, “Design of Experiments (DoE) execution remains largely manual and labour-intensive — introducing inefficiencies, safety risks and data variability at a time when consistency and speed are paramount.”

Tools such as assisted DoE (ADoE) allow development steps to be predefined and executed automatically. Instead of manually adjusting dozens of parameters under time pressure, operators can progress through experimental conditions in a controlled and repeatable way. This reduces the setup time between experiments and minimises the risk of incorrect parameter entries or missed steps.
“Shorter development cycles translate directly into faster decision-making and earlier progression to clinical or commercial stages,” adds Tantuccio: “Even a modest reduction in development time — measured in weeks or months — can have a meaningful impact on time-to-market and overall project value. Furthermore, unrealised capacity can become available.”

Speed alone is not enough, though; R&D teams also need confidence in their understanding of the process. SimpleCT enhances operational insight by improving how information is presented and captured during development. More detailed screens, clearer alarm messages and time-aligned datasets help operators to understand not just that something has happened … but why it happened.

At the core of SimpleCT is the ability to define and execute multivariate experiments within clearly defined operating ranges by a single person.

Reducing reliance on specialised personnel

Traditional continuous development often assumes the availability of highly experienced operators or process engineers who can manage simultaneous set-point changes, sampling schedules, data alignment and troubleshooting in real-time. In practice, this creates a bottleneck: development becomes dependent on a small number of experts.

“SimpleCT is designed to lower that dependency,” suggests Tantuccio. “Automated sampling systems, guided workflows and more informative operator interfaces allow development activities to be done by fewer people with less reliance on niche expertise. For example, automated tablet sampling systems can collect, bag, label and link samples to their respective process conditions at high frequency without manual coordination and management.”

Similarly, automated residence mass collection enables system measurement of how much material is present in the blender during steady operation — a standard requirement for understanding mixing behaviour — and time-aligned data capture at the touch of a button. Tasks that previously required multiple operators working closely together can now be performed safely and consistently by a single trained user. “This reduction in headcount pressure is particularly valuable in R&D environments when resources are limited and teams are balancing multiple programmes simultaneously,” Tantuccio adds.

Improving process insight during development

Manual “spiking” operations have historically posed safety and operational concerns. Spiking involves adding a tracer powder to the process and monitoring its passage through the system, enabling mapping of residence time and identification of key process dynamic behaviour.

These activities frequently require operators to work in proximity to moving equipment and APIs, sometimes under time pressure. Clear communication between the operators responsible for spiking, sample collection and human–machine interface (HMI) adjustments is essential, yet even minor misalignments can compromise data integrity or create safety risks. “As the number of experimental runs increases, so too does the likelihood of human error, mislabelling or incomplete data capture,” comments Tantuccio.

Automated RTD tools, such as contained automatic spiking (CAS) systems, ensure accurate timing, consistent spike introduction and full time-alignment between process data and experimental events. This removes a common source of uncertainty in RTD studies and allows teams to focus on interpreting results rather than questioning data quality. “By reducing manual steps and human error, SimpleCT supports smoother experimentation and faster learning — enabling teams to identify operating windows, sensitivities and transfer risks earlier in development.”

A pragmatic path to continuous adoption

“Importantly,” enthuses Tantuccio, “SimpleCT is not positioned as a radical departure from existing development practices. It is a pragmatic, application-based enabler for teams that already see the value of CM but have hesitated because of its perceived operational complexity.”

The SimpleCT toolset integrates across GEA’s continuous ecosystem — including CDC and related technologies. This lowers the psychological and operational barrier to entry, making continuous development feel manageable rather than overwhelming. “For many pharmaceutical organisations, this derisking effect is just as important as speed or efficiency. By simplifying day-to-day development activities, SimpleCT allows teams to build confidence in continuous tableting early, thereby creating a stronger foundation for later development stages and commercialisation,” Tantuccio adds.

From complexity to confidence

The take-home message from Tantuccio is that continuous manufacturing doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful. “For R&D teams, the real challenge has never been understanding the theory; it’s been managing the practical realities of development on integrated, all-at-once and always-on systems.” By removing manual handling and co-ordination from critical development steps, SimpleCT from GEA and Hovione delivers tangible benefits in three key areas: reliability, ease of operation and data assurance. Automation minimises the risk of human error for standardised workflows, whereas push-button execution allows complex multivariate experiments to be done efficiently and safely.

The quality and consistency of the data generated provide a strong foundation for process understanding, supporting faster decision-making and more robust commercialization activities. By automating complex tasks, reducing headcount requirements and improving process insights, SimpleCT enables faster, more confident development on continuous lines. “For teams ready to move beyond batch — but looking for a simpler way forward — continuous has just become easier,” concludes Tantuccio. “With SimpleCT, you can take the complexity out of continuous development and get to market even faster.” 

SimpleCT: accelerating time-to-market

In an increasingly competitive landscape, the ability to develop and optimise tablet formulations quickly can provide a decisive advantage. Part of GEA’s ConsiGma® portfolio, SimpleCT supports the faster development of direct compression products, reduces material consumption during experimentation and shortens overall time-to-market. At the same time, improved operator safety and reduced exposure to APIs align with the industry’s ongoing focus on sustainable and responsible manufacturing practices.

Read the full article at ManufacturingChemist.com

 

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The company is building out more than 200,000 square feet of space in New Jersey. In April, Contract Pharma had the opportunity to tour Hovione’s expanded manufacturing facility in East Windsor, NJ. The company is planning a formal ribbon-cutting this fall; before that, we got an inside look at some new features. Having established United States operations in 2002, Hovione now has more than 200,000 square feet of space in New Jersey. This will be developed into a large, integrated campus in the next five to ten years. Overall, the company’s recent NJ expansion, which began in 2025, has tripled its total spray-drying capacity in the U.S. Future Facility Upgrades A 125,000-square-foot greenfield acquired by Hovione at the East Windsor campus will eventually be a large-scale production site. This includes enhanced quality control and R&D capabilities. Together, all this adds to Hovione’s stable of manufacturing sites, R&D centers, and other offices spread across three continents. Key to the expansion is a targeted reduction of Hovione’s carbon footprint by 40% by the year 2030. Part of this goal is embracing new and/or changing solvent types to help meet sustainability standards. Additionally, the company says automation that has been put in place at its Portugal site will be replicated in NJ. Hovione Aligns NJ Operations At the Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) Week in New York in March, Contract Pharma met with Hovione. There, David Basile, Vice President of Technical Operations—Americas, further illustrated the New Jersey expansion. “Hovione aims to build an equivalent manufacturing network, where clients can go to any site across the globe,” Basile said. “The design of the facility has been well-thought through with material flows [and] gravity-fed processes. It’s scalable. We call each one of these building segments a finger. You can copy and paste these fingers, and they are built to house both spray drying and drug product assets.” Ultimately, with these moves and a strategic partnership model, Hovione aims to provide customers an opportunity to co-invest and access the company’s proprietary knowledge and assets to accelerate programs and create long-term value. Read the full article at ContractPharma.com    

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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 hospitals to patients’ homes, discover the solutions that make it possible to administer high-dose biologics with greater comfort, less pain, and more freedom in treatment. What if some of the scientific breakthroughs that could improve the lives of millions of people were happening right now in Portugal? The Next Discovery. Listen to the last episode of the podcast here, featuring João Pires and Joana Cristóvão from Hovione’s Research and Development Center. [English transcription] Nelson Ferreira (NF): Welcome to the sixth and final episode of The Next Discovery, a podcast series in which Hovione opens the doors to its world to share the global impact of innovation developed in Portugal. I’m Nelson Ferreira, and throughout this journey we have explored chemical processes, ultrafine particles, and revolutionary production lines. Today, we look directly at the future of medicine. After exploring the world of small molecules, we are now entering a new therapeutic dimension: biologic medicines. Based on larger and more complex molecules, these treatments are opening new possibilities for addressing a wide range of diseases. To explain how this field is evolving and how science can make these treatments more effective, stable, and accessible to patients, I’m joined by João Pires and Joana Cristóvão from Hovione’s Research and Development Center. NF: Welcome to you both. João, let me start with you. For someone who has never heard this term before, what exactly are biologic medicines, and what sets them apart from small-molecule drugs, which are more closely associated with traditional chemistry? João Pires (JP): If we think about the medicines we find in pharmacies today, most of them are indeed composed of small molecules. These are simpler structures that are still highly effective and that we can design and manufacture through what we call classical chemistry, a field that has developed its knowledge over the last 150 to 200 years. Biologics are completely different. Because of their complexity, larger size, and structure, they differ mainly in their origin. They are produced from living organisms, such as cells, which, under the right conditions, can function as biological factories. Just as in our own bodies, they allow us to produce and extract substances that can have a significant therapeutic effect for certain diseases. In that sense, biologics benefit from millions of years of evolution, something classical chemistry simply does not have. NF: Biology is what carried out that evolution. JP: Exactly. Biology. That’s part of the beauty of it. NF: Nature carried out that entire process for us. NF: Joana, since these medicines are created from living organisms, can we say they are, in a way, more “intelligent” and have greater therapeutic potential? Joana Cristóvão (JC): In some cases, they do have tremendous therapeutic potential. One of the advantages of these molecules is their remarkable specificity. You can think of it as a key fitting into a lock. It has to be the right key. Biologics, because they speak the same biological language as our bodies, have this advantage. However, that does not mean they are better than small molecules. It means that, because they are produced by living microorganisms, they are highly complex and would be very difficult, and in some cases impossible, to produce through traditional chemical synthesis. Their great strength lies in their specificity. Examples of biologics include proteins that facilitate communication within the body and monoclonal antibodies that identify specific targets. These functions are particularly suited to biologics and less common among small molecules. NF: João, as I understand it, this is still an emerging field worldwide. How did Hovione, a company historically linked to chemical synthesis and small-molecule particle engineering, decide to embrace the challenge of biologics? JP: Honestly, it has been a very natural transition. Over the years, Hovione has developed highly specialized expertise in chemistry, particle engineering, and formulation science. When we look at biologics, despite their greater complexity, the underlying challenge is very similar. These medicines still require materials, processes, and controls to ensure they reach patients safely, consistently, and effectively. NF: But is there real potential? JP: Absolutely. Not only is there potential, but there are also significant challenges. This leads to the second point: curiosity. Throughout Hovione’s history, starting with our founder, there has always been a drive to embrace increasingly complex challenges. That curiosity is part of our DNA, particularly within our Innovation and Development Center. It is also one of the most rewarding aspects of working at Hovione: being part of this transition. NF: And it is not that far removed from Hovione’s history either. JP: Exactly. NF: Joana, in which therapeutic areas have biologics already had the greatest impact? Are there diseases where they have clearly transformed patient treatment? JC: There are several areas. NF: So this is no longer science fiction. It already exists in practice. JC: Exactly, and it has existed for quite some time in some fields. In oncology, for example, antibodies are used to target and kill cancer cells with high specificity. Instead of attacking cells broadly, these treatments target the disease’s underlying mechanisms. NF: Which I assume reduces side effects. JC: It does. Cancer is also a very clever disease. It evolves rapidly and often hides from our immune system. There are biologic therapies designed to help our natural defenses do their job by removing the “invisible cloak” that some tumors use to evade detection and progress rapidly. Another classic example is diabetes. Insulin has been the most common treatment for diabetes for decades. Before biotechnology, insulin was extracted from animals, making production limited. With biotechnology, we gained the ability to produce human insulin, known as recombinant insulin, using living microorganisms. This transformation made the treatment available to far more people and has saved countless lives. NF: Two clear examples where biologics are already making a difference. João, these medicines are on the market today, but I imagine developing and stabilizing them in the laboratory presents major technical challenges. What are they? JP: Because these molecules are highly complex and, as Joana described, quite elegant, they are also extremely sensitive, almost like greenhouse flowers. Biological evolution has optimized them to survive under very specific conditions, conditions that often do not exist during manufacturing, transportation, or administration. As a result, they are highly sensitive to heat, air, pressure, and even prolonged contact with one another. When these molecules interact too much, they can lose their structure and unfortunately their therapeutic effect as well. This is where we come in. Clients often approach us with molecules that have tremendous therapeutic potential but are still only proof-of-concept projects. Our role is to take those early experimental results and develop the controls, processes, and formulations needed to scale production to thousands or even millions of doses while maintaining impeccable quality and stability. NF: Joana, how are these medicines administered? Are they different from conventional drugs? Traditionally, many biologics require intravenous administration in a hospital setting. Is that still the case? JC: Traditionally, yes. Most biologics are administered directly into a vein through an infusion, similar to receiving an IV drip. However, the pharmaceutical industry is not only focused on treating diseases. It is also increasingly focused on the patient experience. These treatments require hospital visits and can take time to administer. For chronic illnesses, this process repeats throughout a patient's life. The industry's goal is to develop alternative treatments that are more comfortable and give patients greater independence. NF: So they would no longer need to go to the hospital. JC: Exactly. The ultimate objective is to create injectable solutions that patients can administer themselves. Achieving this requires innovation in technology, formulation development, and medical devices. NF: João, this is where high-concentration formulations come in. What does that mean in practice? Could we eventually administer these medicines ourselves without the help of a nurse? JP: We certainly hope so. The concept of high-concentration formulations is relatively simple: fitting as much medicine as possible into the smallest possible volume. Ideally, that volume is small enough to fit into something like an auto-injector that can be carried in a pocket. NF: A pen-like device. JP: Exactly, a pen. Thanks to newer treatments, particularly in areas such as obesity, these devices have become much more familiar to the public. Technically, it sounds simple: more medicine, less liquid. But as we discussed earlier, these molecules are highly sensitive. As concentration increases and the molecules become more crowded together, challenges emerge. In addition to stability concerns, there is the issue of viscosity. This is easy to visualize: the more concentrated something is, the thicker it becomes. NF: Which makes it harder to inject. JP: Exactly. And greater viscosity generally means greater pain during administration. That directly contradicts the goal of developing treatments that are more convenient and patient-friendly. This is one of the major challenges facing the industry today: finding ways to overcome dose limitations and reduce administration volumes without compromising therapeutic effectiveness, convenience, or patient acceptance. NF: Joana, before we finish, what do scientists feel when they look toward the future and see Hovione’s work helping bring medicine closer to solutions that are increasingly personalized, convenient, patient-centered, and comfortable? JC: I think it is a tremendous responsibility, and that responsibility is also a major source of motivation. Medicine is becoming increasingly personalized and focused on the biological mechanisms that cause disease rather than simply treating symptoms. It is incredibly rewarding to be part of teams contributing to this journey toward a better future, one that places patients at the center. NF: João, is the future biological? JP: Not exclusively, but certainly in part. Biologics allow us to dream bigger. They open the door to better, more personalized, and more effective medicines, creating possibilities that were difficult to imagine until now. NF: João Pires and Joana Cristóvão, thank you for opening the doors to the future of medicine. With this look toward tomorrow, we conclude the first season of The Next Discovery. Over the course of six episodes, we traveled from a basement laboratory in Lisbon in 1959 to global technological leadership that now touches the lives of more than 80 million people every year. These conversations have shown that with curiosity, rigor, and talent, the next great scientific breakthroughs can indeed bear the signature of our country. To listen to all episodes of this series, visit observador.pt or your favorite podcast platforms. Until the next discovery.

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Podcast “The Next Discovery” (EP6) - High-Dose Biologics: From Fiction to Reality

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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 asthma to therapies that may one day reach the brain, we follow Hovione’s journey in respiratory and nasal drug delivery, where every particle is engineered to improve patients’ lives. 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 fifth episode of the podcast here, featuring Eunice Costa, Director of Research and Development Center 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 where we open the doors to science and innovation with global impact. I’m Nelson Ferreira, and today we’ll explore how the respiratory system and the nasal route are being used to deliver medicines throughout the body in fast and innovative ways. Joining us is Eunice Costa, Director at Hovione’s Research and Development Center. NF: Hello, Eunice, and welcome. Hovione’s history is closely linked to the lung. More than two decades ago, you began developing and manufacturing solutions for inhaled medicines. What are the major diseases whose treatment has advanced significantly with the help of these innovations? Eunice Costa (EC): Hello, Nelson. Thank you for the invitation. To begin with, respiratory diseases are among the most prevalent conditions and have a tremendous societal impact. We have asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. The technology required to manage these diseases, from molecule design to formulations and delivery devices, is fundamental to making them manageable. While they certainly have a significant impact on patients’ daily lives, these conditions can be effectively controlled, allowing people to live normal lives. NF: Especially because some of them aren’t curable. EC: Exactly. NF: COPD is one example. EC: That’s right. The medicines available today are primarily aimed at disease management, particularly bronchodilation, keeping the airways open and unobstructed. NF: Is that what an asthma inhaler does? EC: Exactly. That’s what the asthma inhaler does, the device everyone recognizes. It’s probably the most iconic example, and one that we often see used incorrectly in movies. NF: Really? Is it also what we use during a spirometry test? EC: Spirometry is primarily a diagnostic test that measures lung capacity when disease is already present. NF: But an inhaled medication is also used during the procedure, right? EC: Exactly. NF: Today, Hovione is also proud to offer end-to-end solutions for inhaled and nasal medicines, primarily targeting the lungs, as we’ve been discussing. Does that mean you control the entire process, from molecule synthesis all the way to the final inhaler device? EC: Yes, exactly. And the journey has been very gradual and organic, so to speak. If I can make a chemistry joke, “organic” fits quite well. But let’s continue. Hovione started with molecule synthesis, which is part of our history. From there, we specialized in controlling what we call particle size, or particle engineering, because these medicines need to be carefully engineered to be delivered effectively to the lungs. We handle synthesis, though we don’t work in drug discovery itself. We’re not discovering new molecules; rather, we support pharmaceutical companies with synthesis and, in this case, particle engineering, which is critical for inhaled medicines. Next comes combining the active pharmaceutical ingredient with additional components to create a medicine, which is also far from simple. Finally, there’s the inhaler, the medical device people actually see. It’s the engine that generates the aerosol. In the traditional asthma inhaler, which is the best-known example, aerosol generation is active. A pressurized gas propels the medication. In the types of devices we specialize in, known as passive devices, dry powder aerosols are generated using the patient’s own inhalation effort. NF: The patient inhales the powder. EC: Exactly. It’s still a challenge because there needs to be a perfect combination of particle properties, formulation, and device design to create the aerosol and achieve effective deposition in the lungs. We have control over all those aspects. NF: The lung seems like a particularly challenging organ for drug delivery. What makes it so difficult to ensure the medicine reaches exactly where it’s supposed to go? EC: Right. NF: Do you put a GPS on it? EC: Not exactly. That would be nice. The reality is that the lung has evolved over millions of years to prevent the entry of any foreign particle, whether it’s a pathogen, a virus, or anything else. NF: That’s its natural behavior. EC: Exactly, and fortunately for us. The lung is very effective at preventing exposure. It’s often said that if the entire surface of the lungs were spread out, it would be about the size of a tennis court. It’s an enormous surface area. Without defense mechanisms, we would constantly be exposed to harmful particles. Evolution designed the lungs to keep everything out. When we try to use the lungs as a route of administration to treat patients, we have to find ways to navigate around those defense mechanisms. NF: Or trick the lungs. EC: Yes, you could say that. We have to persuade them. The key lies in a magic number: aerosol particle size. Whether it’s a dry powder cloud or a liquid aerosol, the particles need to be between one and five microns in size. We’re talking about particles at least ten times smaller than a human hair. These are extremely fine powders. Very small particles tend to clump together, absorb moisture, and behave unpredictably. First, you have to reduce particle size, then control those behaviors, and finally use a relatively simple device. NF: Of course. EC: A device capable of generating that aerosol. NF: And one that anyone can use. EC: Exactly. NF: I believe Japan crossed paths with Hovione’s story again through the success of Inavir. What is this product, and what impact did it have? EC: Inavir is a story that goes back several years and is very illustrative of Hovione’s role in this specialized pharmaceutical niche. It’s an area that requires a broad set of competencies. For context, Inavir is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza. It’s administered directly to the lungs, which are the entry point for the virus. Hovione was involved in developing both the formulation inside the device and the device itself. The inhaler remains, to this day, the world’s only single-use inhaler. It’s extremely simple because patients using it have the flu. Reusing an inhaler in that situation makes little sense. The goal is to use it once and then discard it. The challenge was developing an inhaler that was cost-effective and sustainable while being designed for a single administration. NF: Use it once and throw it away. EC: Exactly. Since its approval in 2010, it has remained the world’s only single-use inhaler. We can say that millions of people have been treated with a technology developed in Portugal. NF: That’s also a source of national pride. EC: Absolutely. NF: In recent years, the nasal route has generated tremendous scientific interest, particularly because of its potential to reach certain areas of the body, including the brain and central nervous system, more quickly. What makes this route so special? It seems to have no toll booths. EC: Well, there are a few. We still need to bypass the body’s defense mechanisms. The nasal route is fascinating because we often associate anything administered through the nose with allergic rhinitis, pollen allergies, or sinus infections. NF: And allergies in general. EC: Exactly. Conditions that are very localized. But in reality, the nasal cavity offers extremely rapid absorption. Researchers began exploring it as a gateway for treating conditions not necessarily linked to nasal symptoms. Initially, this included areas such as pain management, particularly migraines. More recently, it has also been explored as a potential route to the brain itself. Why? Because our sense of smell originates in the nasal cavity, which contains a network of nerves. NF: Although what allows us to smell is actually in the brain. EC: Exactly. This is one of the few non-invasive routes that provides a relatively direct pathway from the nose to the brain through the olfactory and trigeminal nerves. It opens the door to much more patient-friendly approaches for treating disease. NF: Looking toward the future of healthcare, could nasal delivery eventually replace injections for many therapies? Might we someday say goodbye to needles? EC: Unfortunately, I don’t think so. So many innovative therapies are being developed, and needles and injections remain the most reliable way to ensure delivery, especially for advanced biologic therapies, where administration efficiency must be close to 100%. Everything that is prepared must reach the patient. We’re still far from guaranteeing that level of efficiency through the nose or the lungs. Not yet. NF: Not yet, but there are already significant advantages in certain situations. To bring all these innovations to market, research can’t happen in isolation. Does your team work with scientific and academic partners who accelerate these discoveries? EC: Absolutely. First and foremost, our partnerships with Portuguese universities have been an essential source of talent and knowledge for the advances we’ve made over the years, particularly in respiratory drug delivery. The Faculties of Pharmacy in Lisbon and Coimbra, NOVA University, and Instituto Superior Técnico have all been key partners. Not only academic institutions, but also industry partners. Given the complexity of what we do, multiple disciplines need to come together, from mechanical engineering and physiology to biology. No one achieves major breakthroughs alone. We also collaborate with companies such as Precisepart in Germany in the area of inhaler devices. These partnerships have been absolutely fundamental to our success. NF: Eunice Costa, scientist at Hovione, thank you for helping us understand how science is transforming lung health and how the nasal route is becoming a gateway for medicines that could improve the lives of millions of people. This was the fifth episode of The Next Discovery. Next week, we’ll reach the final chapter of this season and explore what almost sounds like science fiction becoming reality. We’ll discover high-dose biologic medicines and learn how cancer treatments may move from hospitals into our homes. All episodes are available at observador.pt and on major podcast platforms. Until the next discovery.

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