Press Room

RDD 2024

Start
Sunday, May 05, 2024
End
Thursday, May 09, 2024
Location: Arizona, United States
Booth Number: 22
RDD 2024 - Hovione

Hovione will be exhibiting at RDD conference from May 5-9. Don’t miss the chance to speak with our experts and learn how our development and manufacturing services for inhalation and nasal - integrated on a single site - can support in bringing your product to market.

 

We are centrally located between the 'Inspiring Dry Powder Inhalation' and 'Nasal Spotlight' Knowledge Space areas.

schedule a meeting

 

 

 

HOVIONE WORKSHOP

Nasal Powders: Enhancing Formulation and Device Synergy

May 7th from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM 

Presenters: 
Dina Morais, Ph.D. - R&D Senior Scientist, Inhalation and Advanced Drug Delivery

Cláudia Costa, Ph.D. - R&D Scientist, Advanced Analytical Characterization

Access the recorded session here

(Gated content. Registration is required.)

 

Short description: This workshop will address the complexities of formulating nasal powders including achieving the right balance between drug solubility, bioavailability, and delivery by exploring Hovione´s nasal toolbox for formulation strategies and advanced analytical characterization, within the current regulatory framework. The selection of appropriate excipients and manufacturing technologies as well as control over critical process parameters are key factors during product development. The formulation-device dependency when developing nasal products will also be highlighted, focusing on case studies using the new Hovione nasal device.



Key learning: Get to know Hovione´s integrated formulation-device solution for nasal powders development and learn how the early-stage in vitro screening may be predictive of the in vivo nasal powder performance.

 

HOVIONE POSTERS

"Systemic Nasal Absorption of Amorphous Solid Dispersions: Supersaturating Systems for Fast Onset of Action of Poorly Soluble Drugs Through the Nasal Mucosa"

Authors:
Patricia Henriques, Dina Morais, Slavomíra Doktorovová, Ana Fortuna

Presenter: Dina Morais, Ph.D. - R&D Senior Scientist, Inhalation and Advanced Drug Delivery

Poster brief description: The poster shows the potential of amorphous solid dispersions for nasal delivery of a poorly soluble drug, through in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies.

Key Learning: Supersaturating systems promote nasal absorption of poorly soluble drugs, leading to faster onset of action. In vitro dissolution and ex vivo permeation methodologies are valuable tools for selecting the best formulations prototypes.

 

"Drug Load Influence on Aerodynamic Properties of High Dosage DPIs: A Case Study of an Aminoglycoside Model Drug"

Authors:
João Pires, Maria Inês Lopes

Presenter: João Pires, Ph.D. - R&D Manager, Inhalation and Advanced Drug Development

Brief description: The study assessed the influence of the drug load on both primary aerodynamic distributions, measured online in the spray-drying process, and the final in vitro performance of carrier-free DPI formulations.

 

Key Learning: The aerodynamic size measurement during the spray-drying process allows the rapid screening of viable formulation candidates, enabling a more straightforward DPI development process.

 

"Differential Permeability of Dry Solid and Aqueous Suspensions of Fluticasone Propionate through A549 Alveolar Epithelial Cells"

Authors:
Alexandre J.S. Ribeiro

Presenter: Alexandre Ribeiro, Ph.D. - R&D Principal Analytical Scientist, Analytical Development

Short description: Determining the lung permeability of orally inhaled drug products with in vitro cell-based platforms has high potential to predict their bioavailability during preclinical studies and increase the success rate of drug development. Cellular platforms used in permeability studies aim to recreate the pulmonary epithelial air-liquid interface barrier, where an inhalable product is deposited onto its apical side and then permeated through a polarized and tight epithelium into its basolateral side. A dry powder fluticasone propionate inhalable formulation was deposited in powder form or suspended in a cellular buffer solution on the apical side of an epithelial culture to investigate differences in permeability related with these different approaches for delivering inhalable formulations onto epithelial air-liquid interfaces.  



Key learning: By investigating optimal conditions to estimate the permeability of inhalable products, Hovione is establishing standards for improving formulation screening with these techniques in the early phases of drug development. 

 

"Understanding Leucine Encapsulation in Dry Powder Inhaler Microparticles via Surface Characterization Techniques"

Authors:
Lídia Santos, Cláudia Costa

Presenter: Cláudia Costa, Ph.D. - R&D Scientist, Advanced Analytical Characterization

Poster brief description: Encapsulation in the DPI formulations were evaluated using specified surface characterization techniques, XPS, IGC and SEM. For XPS analysis the sample preparation and method conditions were previously assessed to assure repeatable and accurate results. The combination of the 3 techniques revealed good insights into the surface composition, shape, and structure of the composite particles. The differences in solubility and molecular structure of the APIs enabled a better understanding of the encapsulation behavior of leucine.



Key Learning: Deep lung delivery of DPI formulations is highly impacted by the cohesion forces between particles. An extensive characterization of the encapsulation process is imperative to achieve a reproducible and repeatable process with good aerosolization performance.

 

HOVIONE ARTICLE - ONdrugDELIVERY



Title: High-dose Delivery Platform For Crystalline DPIs

Authors: Susana Saldanha, Lídia Santos, Rui Churro

Source: OnDrugDelivery, 23 April 2024

Abstract: Respiratory drug delivery has diversified the pipeline and portfolio of diseases that can be treated through this route, including already approved anti-infective medicines for cystic fibrosis or influenza patients, and others in development for pulmonary arterial hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other rare lung diseases. Also, the doses and molecules delivered to the lungs have increased in the last years from a few micrograms to milligrams. This growth in the delivery of high doses has been observed in pharmaceutical compounds, such as antibiotics, vaccines, proteins and peptides, as well as for the treatment of acute emergency indications via the inhalation route.



Read the full article here 

 

Schedule a meeting with our team and get to know more about our unique range of particle engineering technologies for Inhalation & Nasal such as jet milling, wet milling and spray drying.

 

Let’s discuss your project together.

schedule a meeting

 

Find more about RDD2024

 

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The CDMO’s New Jersey manufacturing site expansion will eventually cover more than 200,000 square feet. Portugal-based contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Hovione has completed an initial $100 million investment round in its East Windsor, New Jersey site. Once completed it will increase the facility’s footprint to more than 200,000 square feet and more than double its capacity for spray drying. Hovione CEO Jean-Luc Herbeaux said: “Since launching our New Jersey operations in 2002, Hovione has been one of the longest established European CDMOs in the United States. “This investment reinforces Hovione’s leadership in spray drying – a core technology platform where we have built extensive know-how and capabilities. By continuing to advance our platforms and expand capacity in the US, we are strengthening the foundation that enables our partners to bring complex medicines to patients more efficiently.” Spray drying is an increasingly important particle engineering technology for improving drug bioavailability through the amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) that can address bioavailability or crystallisation challenges. The initial phase of Hovione’s expansion will include a 31,000-square-foot building to house two size-3 spray dryers (PSD-3) designed for ASD production. Construction at the New Jersey site is already underway and the company plans to start GMP operations in the second quarter of 2026. The initiative is part of Hovione’s long-term strategy to grow its US operations and enhance its integrated drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product capabilities. Herbeaux said: “This investment addresses growing customer demand for US-based capacity and integrated solutions that shorten development timelines and reduce tech transfer complexity. By consolidating development, scale-up, and commercial manufacturing within a single quality and governance framework, we provide customers with seamless execution from drug substance to drug product.” The company’s New Jersey expansion fits into its wider international growth plan that also includes capacity investments in Ireland and Portugal as it seeks to create a network of autonomous sites spanning the development and commercialisation of APIs, drug product intermediates and drug products.   Read the full article at EuropeanPharmaceuticalReview.com  

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Hovione doubles spray drying capacity with $100m US investment round

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The latest from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers featuring Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lonza, SK pharmteco/Lotte Biologics, Hovione, Sai Life Sciences, BioCina, Alcami, Piramal Pharma/IntoCell and Roquette. Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing: Hovione Completes Initial $100-M Investment Cycle in US Operations Hovione, a CDMO of drug substances and drug products, has completed an initial $100-million investment cycle at its site in East Windsor, New Jersey, as part of a strategy to increase its US operations and enhance its integrated drug-substance, drug-product intermediate, and drug-product capabilities. Upon completion, the site will cover more than 200,000 square feet.   The initial expansion phase includes a 31,000-square-foot building that will house two size-3 spray dryers (PSD-3) designed for production of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). This investment more than doubles Hovione’s spray-drying capacity in the US by expanding capabilities for ASD development and commercial manufacturing. Construction is underway at the New Jersey site, with GMP operations planned to start in the second quarter of 2026.  As part of this expansion, Hovione has also acquired additional adjacent land to enable future growth at the East Windsor site. The 125,000-square-foot greenfield will support large-scale production, including continuous and batch tableting capacity, and introduce the latest pharmaceutical technologies and digital innovation with enhanced quality control and R&D capabilities.    Read the full article at DCATvci.org  

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Today marks the start of CPhI Frankfurt, a huge trade show in Germany focused on the supply of pharmaceutical ingredients and other services to the drug industry. C&EN editor in chief Nick Perkins, life sciences editor Laura Howes, and reporter Aayushi Pratap are all there to meet drug outsourcing executives and take the pulse of the sector. In advance of CPhI, Cambrex and Wilmington PharmaTech both just announced big investments in US plants that make active pharmaceutical ingredients. And the Portuguese pharmaceutical services firm Hovione says it has completed a $100 million investment in New Jersey (story below). (...) Hovione invests in spray-drying in New Jersey The pharmaceutical services firm Hovione says it has spent $100 million to expand its operation in East Windsor, New Jersey. The facility spray-dries drug ingredients to create amorphous solid dispersions, which improve solubility and bioavailability. The Portuguese company says the new spray dryers will begin operating in the second quarter of 2026. The New Jersey facility opened in 2002, making Hovione one of the longest-established European pharmaceutical services firms in the US, CEO Jean-Luc Herbeaux says in a press release. Hovione says it has purchased land adjacent to the East Windsor site on which it can add new facilities for services such as spray-drying and drug tableting. Hovione is also investing at its sites in Ireland and Portugal. —Michael McCoy   Read the full article at CEN.acs.org  

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