Press Room

Press Release / Jul 30, 2003

Hovione Group financial results for the year ended 31st March 2003

Hovione announces that sales for the year ended 31st March 2003 amounted to US$70m.

Hovione announces that sales for the year ended 31st March 2003 amounted to US$70m. This represents a growth of 27% on the previous year, and accounts for the Company´s best sales performance ever.

Guy Villax, CEO of Hovione noted that “Hovione has successfully delivered on the business plan approved two years ago. In addition to the good performance of the financial indicators a good management of the product portfolio was successfully managed – Hovione now has two distinct business areas – generics and exclusive manufacturing – accounting, respectively, for 2/3 and 1/3 of sales”.

The company forecasts an average annual sales growth of around 15% from 2003 to 2006 through organic growth. Over the past 7 years the company’s sales grew at 13% pa, a growth that was financed by the company’s cash flow and bank loans.

During 2002, Hovione pursued on schedule its 3 year US$56m investment programme due for completion in 2003. The investment programme addresses a growth strategy directed at strengthening Hovione’s leading world position in the supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients to Pharma Multinationals, the emerging Biotechs and the Generic houses.

- The new Technology Transfer Center in New Jersey, USA was concluded on time and budget in September 2002, suitably qualified to enable it to start taking on customer projects in the last quarter of the year. This greenfield project includes a kilo-lab and a pilot plant and provides a permanent presence in the market that already provides over 60% of Hovione Group sales.

- At the Loures plant the construction of a cGMP compliant pilot plant started in 2002. This shall provide Hovione with the necessary facilities to be able to continue expanding its process chemistry R&D resources. A first-phase will enter into service before year-end 2003.

- In the Taipa facility in Macau manufacturing equipment and validation is now in place for production of injectable grade APIs. This plant has been regularly inspected by the US FDA since 1987 and Hovione is now well equipped to address the growing outsourcing needs of the NASDAQ quoted Biotechs that operate under the virtual company business model.

Hovione is an international group dedicated to the process development and synthesis of APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) serving exclusively the pharmaceutical industry. With FDA inspected plants in Europe and the Far East and a Technology Transfer Centre in New Jersey, USA, Hovione is committed to the highest levels of service and quality. Hovione’s capabilities include process chemistry, worldwide regulatory affairs, kilo to multi-ton manufacture of complex multi-step chemistry of APIs under FDA and ICH cGMP quality standards.

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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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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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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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