Press Room

Press Release / Mar 08, 2018

Compliance at Hovione - Annual Inspection Review

Hovione announced today that in the last year their manufacturing facilities were the object of eight inspections, performed by different Health Authorities.

Loures, Portugal, March 8, 2018 – Hovione announced today that in the last year their manufacturing facilities were the object of eight inspections, performed by different Health Authorities. The inspections revealed that all Hovione sites were in compliance, this reflects a solid Quality System and a vibrant Quality Culture.

This is the first press release that reports on the outcomes of inspections in the previous year. This will now be a regular commitment, it is another feature of our commitment to transparency.

Hovione inspections during 2017

Site Authority Date Type of inspection Outcome
Portugal     

Ministry
of Healthcare
of the Russian
Federation

  Jan 2017      PAI for an Intermediate Drug Product         GMP certificate granted
  Jul 2017 PAI for an Intermediate Drug Product GMP certificate granted

FDA, USA

  Mar 2017 PAI for an Intermediate Drug Product Form 483 – 6 observations
Site approved
  Nov 2017 Surveillance inspection No Form 483

INFARMED,
Portugal, EU

  Jul 2017 GMP inspection to a new building GMP certificate granted
Macau

PMDA,
Japan

  Dec 2017 GMP inspection 11 minor observations reported
Ireland

Ministry
of Healthcare
of the Russian
Federation

  Jul 2017 PAI for an Intermediate Drug Product GMP certificate granted

FDA,
USA

  Dec 2017 Surveillance inspection No Form 483

“Each inspection at Hovione is considered to be of highest importance for the organization and for our customers. We are considering every audit and every inspection as a learning opportunity to continuously improve our Quality Systems and Operative Mechanisms. The number of inspections and their outcome demonstrate our commitment and capacity in the development of new drugs, and ability to manufacture highest quality products for our customers as well as for millions of patients that we proudly serve together. We are especially happy to share that all of the GMP surveillance inspections were concluded successfully with no form 483 observation.” said Joerg Gampfer, Vice President of Quality at Hovione.

“We have a culture of quality that puts patient safety first. These inspections are important steps for Hovione and our customers. They shape our behaviors and motivate us to always improve our services to customers. Hovione has all the ingredients for an outstanding partnership going from clinical programs all the way to commercial supply.” added Frédéric Kahn, Vice President Marketing and Sales.

 

About Hovione
Hovione has over 57 years of experience as a CDMO and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering from drug substance to drug product intermediate to drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USChinaIreland, and Portugal, and development laboratories in Lisbon and New Jersey, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs and is able to support highly potent compounds. For generic pharmaceutical customers the company offers niche off-patent API products. In the inhalation area Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services. 

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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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