Press Room

Press Release / Sep 29, 2015

Hovione announces the expansion of its New Jersey Facility

Hovione announced today the expansion of its New Jersey facility in East Windsor, USA.

Loures, Portugal, September 29, 2015 – Hovione announced today the expansion of its New Jersey facility in East Windsor, USA. This investment is part of the company’s strategy to increase its global development and commercial capacity to meet the increasing demands of Hovione’s customers. 

The expansion will add an additional 30,600 ft² (2,843 m²) to the 24,000ft² (2,211m²) facility. It will introduce a new commercial spray dryer unit to complement their existing pilot unit and this installation will be specifically designed to handle potent drug substances (APIs). In addition the expansion will more than double the drug substance capacity at the site to support the needs of the current and future customer base. The expansion is expected to add approximately 60 new jobs to the current workforce.

“Expanding our manufacturing presence in USA highlights our commitment to our customers that want to manufacture their products in the US and to support the development needs of our ever expanding local customer base. The additional capacity will give us more flexibility and make us more agile to deal with our customer’s fast paced projects.” said Dr. Marco Gil, General Manager, Hovione New Jersey.

“This investment pays a tribute to the excellent work that Hovione New Jersey team has done to create a sustainable business for the company in the US. We trust the team in New Jersey to be an integral part of Hovione’s overall expansion. ” said Dave Hoffman, President of the US Operations.  “The State and especially the local government have been extremely supportive of us in the past and in our growth plans for the future and we are excited to partner with them to create new jobs in the local community.”

The official ground breaking should occur in the first quarter of 2016 and the doubling of capacity is expected to be fully operational in early 2017.

This expansion will give our customers more options for spray drying manufacturing at Hovione. With commercial scale facilities in Portugal, Ireland and the U.S. we offer unmatched supply risk management through our vast internal network of compliant manufacturing capacity.

 

 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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