Press Room

Press Release / Oct 19, 2015

Hovione acquires a Formulation Plant

Hovione announced today that it is investing in specialized formulation capabilities.

Loures, Portugal, October 19th, 2015 – Hovione announced today that it is investing in specialized formulation capabilities. The first step of the plan was the acquisition of a formulation facility adjacent to the current process chemistry and particle engineering facility in Loures, Portugal. This acquisition is a strategic investment to further boost development and manufacturing capabilities for both inhalation and oral dosage forms.

The facility will be engineered to enable to work with highly potent APIs and moisture sensitive compounds and will have dedicated rooms to allow for concurrent manufacture of these products. The facility will be capable to prepare a wide range of materials suitable for clinical trials as well as commercial batches meeting global regulatory requirements.

“Over the last decade we have built great knowledge in developing final dosage forms in the area of dry powder inhalation and oral dosage forms and have installed state-of-the-art formulation equipment to support these activities. Adding to our drug substance and particle engineering capabilities this new plant expands our integrated offer and technological capabilities to provide the best service to our customers”, said Filipe Gaspar, Hovione’s Vice-President R&D. “

“With this investment we will be able to expand our offerings and provide our clients with new services. I am sure our customers will value the option of not having to ship the material that comes out of our reactors and spray dryers to outside the walls of our site and away from our trusted quality culture.  This is also a great way to speed up the entire CMC development to meet the needs of the growing number of accelerated programs that our clients ask us to deliver on”, said Guy Villax, Hovione’s Chief Executive.

About Hovione

Hovione is an international company with over 50 years’ experience in the development and compliant manufacture of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Drug Product Intermediates. With four FDA inspected sites in the U.S., China, Ireland, and Portugal, the company focuses on the most demanding customers, in the most regulated markets. The company also offers branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative new drugs, is able to support highly potent compounds and offers proprietary product development and licensing opportunities for drug products. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering such a broad range of services. Hovione is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards.

 

 

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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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