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Press Clipping / Jan 24, 2022

Hovione will expand 3 pharmaceutical chemistry facilities

C&EN, 21 November 2021

The Portuguese drug services firm Hovione has outlined a $170 million investment program through 2023 that it says will increase its production capacity by about 25%. In East Windsor, New Jersey, where Hovione is investing $50 million, the company will add two spray dryers, tripling capacity, and expand its capacity to make research- and small-scale quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). “We are looking to build this up to a significant site for Hovione with more than 300 people,” says Jean-Luc Herbeaux, the firm’s chief operating officer.

Hovione currently employs about 150 people in New Jersey. In Cork, Ireland, it will spend about $50 million to upgrade its high-potency API production and add a spray dryer.

In Loures, Portugal, Hovione is spending $70 million on additions such as a new manufacturing building and an eight-lab quality control facility. These projects, some of which are already complete, will take up all the available space at the Loures site, according to CEO Guy Villax. “Last year we broke $300 million in sales,” Villax says, and the firm is targeting $400 million this year. “The company needs to be less Portuguese. You will see us invest and grow our footprint more in the US than elsewhere.”The Portuguese drug services firm Hovione has outlined a $170 million investment program through 2023 that it says will increase its production capacity by about 25%.

In East Windsor, New Jersey, where Hovione is investing $50 million, the company will add two spray dryers, tripling capacity, and expand its capacity to make research- and small-scale quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). “We are looking to build this up to a significant site for Hovione with more than 300 people,” says Jean-Luc Herbeaux, the firm’s chief operating officer. Hovione currently employs about 150 people in New Jersey.

In Cork, Ireland, it will spend about $50 million to upgrade its high-potency API production and add a spray dryer.

In Loures, Portugal, Hovione is spending $70 million on additions such as a new manufacturing building and an eight-lab quality control facility. These projects, some of which are already complete, will take up all the available space at the Loures site, according to CEO Guy Villax. “Last year we broke $300 million in sales,” Villax says, and the firm is targeting $400 million this year. “The company needs to be less Portuguese. You will see us invest and grow our footprint more in the US than elsewhere.”

 

Read the entire article on CEN.acs.org

 

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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  

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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).    

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Executiva, 23 February 2026

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

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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  

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