Press Room

Press Release / Oct 19, 2011

Hovione and Bend Research Enter Into Collaboration To Advance Clients’ Best Medicines

HOVIONE, a worldwide pharmaceutical manufacturing firm and BEND, OR – Bend Research Inc. (www.bendresearch.com), a leading independent drug-formulation development company, announced today that they have entered into a nonexclusive, cooperative relationship.

The collaboration will give Bend Research clients access to Hovione’s commercial-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities worldwide and give Hovione clients access to Bend Research’s oral drug-delivery, formulation, and engineering expertise.

“Hovione has world-class commercial-scale spray-drying capabilities—both staff and facilities. We’re excited about this collaboration because Hovione will expand the range of manufacturing options available to our clients,” said Bend Research Chief Executive Officer Rod Ray.

In addition to manufacturing, the collaboration builds upon both companies’ expertise in many types of specialized formulations, including engineered particles for inhaled delivery.

Dave Hoffman, VP Exclusives and Particle Design, said, “Hovione is very pleased to work collaboratively with Bend, a company with such extensive expertise in early and mid-stage development. Leveraging on their capabilities, this collaboration will allow both companies to provide a comprehensive and integrated solution from development to commercial scale. ” 

The collaboration will allow seamless technology transfer between the two companies, leveraging Bend Research’s clinical-trial-scale manufacturing facilities and scale-up and transfer expertise with Hovione’s wide range of capabilities, which includes cGMP manufacturing facilities in the U.S, Ireland, Portugal, and China. 

In addition, the agreement gives Hovione clients access to Bend Research’s expertise in oral drug delivery, formulation, and process engineering, including its proprietary drug-delivery technologies. 

“This effort is a key part in our commitment to getting our clients’ best new medicines to market as quickly and efficiently as possible, and with the highest quality,” Ray said.

About Hovione

Hovione is an international company with over 50 years’ experience in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient development and compliant manufacture. 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 integrated API, particle design and formulation development and manufacturing. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering such a broad range of services. Hovione employs 1,100 people worldwide. 

About Bend Research Inc. 

For more than 35 years, Bend Research has worked with clients to create value by advancing new medicines that improve human health and to solve their most difficult scientific and technical problems. This success is based on the company’s ability to develop, advance, and commercialize pharmaceutical technologies. The firm’s innovative drug-delivery solutions grow from a solid base of scientific and engineering fundamental understanding.

Bend Research provides formulation and dosage-form support, assists in process development and optimization, manufactures clinical-trial quantities of drug candidates in its cGMP facilities, and advances promising drug candidates from conception through commercialization. Bend Research is a leader in novel drug formulations, including those based on solubilization (e.g., spray-dried dispersions), hot-melt extrusion, inhalation, controlled-release, and biotherapeutic technologies. Bend Research has more than 240 employees based in four state-of-the-art facilities in Bend, Ore., USA.

For more information about Bend Research

Contact Phoenix Ivers by email at Phoenix.Ivers@BendResearch.com
by phone at 541-382-4100 and 
visit www.bendresearch.com

For more information about Hovione

Isabel Pina
Corporate Communications
ipina@hovione.com
+351 21 982 9362

 

 

Also in the Press Room

See All

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  

Press Clipping

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

Nov 04, 2025

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  

Press Clipping

Supplier News: Thermo Fisher, Lonza, SK pharmteco, Hovione & More

Oct 30, 2025

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  

Press Clipping

Oct. 28 Business Watch: More plants closing in Europe, Novartis to pay $12 billion for biotech firm

Oct 28, 2025