Press Room

Event

RDD Europe 2015

Start

Tuesday, May 05, 2015 - 00:00

End

Friday, May 08, 2015 - 00:00

Location: Nice, France

Booth Number: Table nr. 32

RDD Europe 2015 will be held from Tuesday 5th May until Friday 8th May 2015 at the Palais des Congres d'Antibes, Nice, France. Hovione will be present with a table (nr. 32), a presentation, a workshop and a set of posters.

HOVIONE'S PRESENTATION

Optimized Composite Particles for API-independent Formulations with Enhanced Performance

Speaker: Eunice Costa, PhD (Scientist, Drug Product Development)

Date: Friday, May 5, 2015

Time: 8:30 AM

HOVIONE'S WORKSHOP

Trends in Inhalation Drug Development: Particle Engineering and Formulation Strategies

Speakers: Eunice Costa, PhD (Scientist, Drug Product Development)

Filipe Neves, PhD (Senior Scientist, Group Leader, Drug Product Development)

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Time: tbd - afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00 PM

Introduction: This workshop addresses trends in particle engineering (PE) technologies, and formulation strategies to overcome problems during the development of inhalation drugs. Participants will gain insight into innovative approaches via comprehensive and diverse case studies chosen to illustrate the complexity of manufacturing processes.
Workshop Content: Participants will learn the fundamentals of inhalation delivery, together with an overview of market trends and basic concepts associated with metered dose inhalation (MDI) and dry powder inhalation (DPI); for the latter platform, carrier based and composite particles based approaches will be emphasized. The impact of different particle engineering technologies on the final performance of both MDI and DPI (carrier based) products will be discussed. Case studies will link API properties (measured by cutting edge techniques) and formulation strategy, with the overall success of a given delivery platform. Lastly, DPI formulation based on spray dried composite particle approaches will be explored using case studies covering formulation development and process scale-up.
Outcome for Participants: The participants will gain insight into several innovative approaches, including a number of comprehensive and diverse case studies, which will illustrate the complex relationships linking inhaler design to particle engineering and formulation strategies.

POSTERS

Impact of the Size-Reduction Technology on the Performance of Suspension Pressurized Metered Dosed Inhalers: Benchmarking with Dry Powder Inhalers

Eunice Costa

Performance Optimization in Early DPI Development: Enabling High Dosage Drug Delivery to the Lungs Through Orifice-Based Aerosolization

João Fernandes

Benchmarking Gravimetric FSI vs ACI: Can We Expedite Aerodynamic Performance Evaluation for Composite Powders?

Isabel Lopes

Aerodynamic Performance of DPIs: Predicting the Impact of Carrier-Based Formulation Parameters

Filipa Maia

API Influence & Stability Assessment of Spray Dried Composite Particles

Cláudia Moura

Optimizing Trade-Offs Between Product Performance and Process Efficiency via Powder Rheology

Maria Palha

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With more than six decades of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, Hovione is an international CDMO offering a comprehensive range of services for New Molecular Entities (NMEs), including drug substances, intermediates, and drug products. The company also supplies niche generic APIs and delivers advanced technologies supporting multiple drug delivery platforms, including oral, injectable, inhalation, and topical formulations. Today, Hovione employs 2,500 people worldwide and operates 900 m3 of manufacturing capacity across four sites in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Japan has played an important role in the company’s global strategy since its early years. Initial export activities were followed in 2017 by the establishment of a Japanese subsidiary in Osaka. Read the full article in Japanese at Yakuji.co.jp Read the article translated in English

Press Clipping

Yakuji Nippo Magazine, 13 March 2026

International CDMO strengthens its presence in Japan: from active pharmaceutical ingredients to formulations, all at the same location

Mar 13, 2026

In an interview with Executiva, a portuguese media outlet focused on women´s leadership, Diane Villax, co-founder and long-standing leader of Hovione, reflects on her journey and the company’s development over more than six decades. Diane Villax’s career began at a time when few women worked outside the home. At 19, she joined a trading company as a foreign languages correspondent, where she developed essential business skills — including commercial correspondence, banking and export procedures — that later proved instrumental in helping her husband, Ivan Villax, establish Hovione in 1959. From its earliest days operating in the family home in Lisbon, Hovione adopted an international outlook. The company’s first major customers were in Japan, setting demanding quality standards that helped shape its long-term position in global markets. Over the following decades, Hovione expanded its footprint with the construction of its first manufacturing site in Loures (1969), followed by expansion to Macau (1986), the United States (New Jersey, early 2000s) and Ireland (Cork). The company grew into a global organization with more than 2,500 employees — including over 300 scientists — and a reputation as a preferred supplier to leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Throughout the interview, Diane highlights the values that have guided the company’s development: a commitment to excellence, a strong work ethic, and a focus on quality and long-term relationships. Although she did not have formal business training, she learned “on the job” and brought discipline, precision and structure to her role — particularly in the company’s early financial and administrative leadership. Now in her nineties and an active member of Hovione’s Board of Directors, Diane Villax remains engaged with the company’s evolution and governance, reflecting a continued commitment to its long-term development. Her story reflects entrepreneurial drive, resilience and long-term leadership — and offers insight into the values that have shaped Hovione’s trajectory for more than six decades. Read the full interview at Executiva.pt (in portuguese).

Article

Executiva, 23 February 2026

Hovione’s Diane Villax: “I was not brought up to be a business woman”

Feb 23, 2026

Márcio Temtem, vice president, Strategic Business Management, Hovione, addresses molecule complexity, speed, and regionalization via integrated manufacturing. The landscape of small molecule manufacturing is rapidly evolving, according to Márcio Temtem, vice president, Strategic Business Development, Hovione, who provides an expert look into how his firm is evolving their approach as the industry changes. With 17 years of experience at Hovione, a family-owned CDMO with a 66-year legacy, Temtem identifies three pivotal trends currently shaping the industry: increased complexity, accelerated development speed, and the regionalization of supply chains. Temtem observes that small molecules have grown significantly in size and complexity, often requiring multiple chemical steps and high-potency handling. This shift necessitates a specialized "toolbox" to overcome modern bioavailability challenges. Highlighting Hovione's technical approach to these hurdles, Temtem states, "We use a platform called amorphous solid dispersions, produced by spray drying to address this challenge of bioavailability.” This platform represents a core area in which Hovione maintains global leadership, utilizing innovative tools to scale processes efficiently while minimizing the use of APIs. Temtem also mentions the increased influence of AI in drug discovery and deployment, which requires CDMOs to bridge the gap from grams to tons at a much faster pace than in previous years. He further addresses the trend of regionalization, noting the rise of countries such as the US and China prioritizing regional supply chain strategies. He explains that Hovione is uniquely positioned to navigate these new challenges with supply chains through its FDA-inspected sites across three continents. Central to Hovione’s competitive advantage is their integrated manufacturing offer, which combines drug substance and drug product expertise at a single location. Temtem emphasizes the value of this model, stating, “The company… has been investing in an integrated offer, bridging the problems of chemists and formulators all at the same shop.” To support this integration, the company continues to pioneer advanced manufacturing avenues, including continuous flow for drug substances and continuous tableting for drug products. Watch the full video interview or read the transcript at PharmTech.com

Article

PharmTech, 6 February 2026

Hovione’s Strategy for Complexity, Speed, and Regional Supply Chains

Feb 06, 2026

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