Press Room

Press Release / Mar 19, 2018

Hovione reports on recent capacity expansion and future plans to support growth

Hovione reported today recent capacity expansion and future plans in its sites in Portugal, Ireland and New Jersey.

Loures, Portugal, March 19, 2018 – Hovione reported today recent capacity expansion and future plans in its sites in Portugal, Ireland and New Jersey, with the aim to: increase capacity in existing technologies, like spray drying and grow in new areas of business to support its clients demand.

The capacity expansion program started in 2016 and will continue in the coming five years. In the first two years, Hovione has relocated its development services to a new centre with 7.000 m2 in Lisbon, fifteen minutes away from the Loures manufacturing site, fully equipped with the most recent tools where Hovione is able to handle potent and highly potent compounds. The new building hosts 200 scientists from the chemistry, particle engineering, formulation and analytical development areas.

In this period, Loures site expanded its drug substance reaction vessel capacity with a small scale production area and a new pilot plant, totalling additional 30 m3 of capacity. In addition, one pilot and two large scale spray dryers were installed at the site and started the operation of a new drug product centre equipped with oral dosage form and inhalation manufacturing capabilities.

During the same time, Hovione doubled the size of its development and manufacturing operations in the New Jersey site, providing it with a full range of capabilities, from chemical & analytical development, through spray drying to formulation. The site now hosts 14 m3 of reaction vessel capacity with four independent trains, a pilot and a large scale spray dryer and a continuous tableting unit.

In the Cork site, Hovione is reinstating and renewing a production building with 157m3 of chemical synthesis capacity devoted to contract manufacturing.  About half of this capacity will be ready for operation by May 2018.

Over the next three years Hovione will add to the Loures site a new chemical synthesis and spray dryer building for contract manufacturing, with a total area of 4,200 m2 for 165m3 of reaction vessel capacity and two large spray drying units, new formulation facilities that will enable the production of bigger batch sizes and a new building that will host additional 1200 m2 of analytical laboratories.

This investment effort is being paired with recruiting and training new staff clearly illustrated by a 39% headcount growth in the last 2 years.

 “This addition in capacity expansion will secure our growth and ensure that we continue to provide a truly integrated full-service solution to our customers, as well as showing Hovione’s strategy and commitment to further strengthen its global market leadership in Spray Drying” said Frédéric Kahn, Vice-President Marketing & Sales.

“This capacity expansion plan is far more than a matter of production capacity solely. It aims to reorganize sites with new buildings, renew existing facilities and give operations the most advanced equipment in the market, to provide our customers and team members with the technology and the capacity they need to grow in a sustainable way. It is a significant effort and commitment from Hovione to stay ahead of and prepare for future demand.” said Nuno Almeida, Vice-President of Engineering.

 

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 US, China, Ireland, 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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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  

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Developing drugs with poor water solubility remains a major challenge for pharmaceutical manufacturers, because solubility impacts bioavailability and effective drug delivery. The vast majority of small molecule drug candidates have low water solubility. For more than two decades, the most successful particle engineering technology to improve drug solubility and bioavailability has been spray drying with an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) platform. Spray drying improves the solubility of oral drugs, inhalable particles, and excipients, and increases the stability of heat-sensitive drug products. Hovione, recognized globally for its industry-leading spray drying capabilities, has recently completed a $100 million investment cycle to enhance its operations in New Jersey. This initiative has successfully doubled Hovione’s spray-drying capacity in the US, strengthening its position in the industry. Hovione’s Expanded U.S. Site in East Windsor, NJ  The first phase of the expansion in East Windsor, NJ, delivers a new 31,000 square foot facility and houses two size-3 spray dryers (PSD-3). This additional capacity allows Hovione to meet increasing customer demand for ASD development and good manufacturing practice (GMP) commercial production. GMP operations are scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2026.  Hovione has also acquired 15 acres of neighboring land, strategically positioning itself for future growth and evolving customer needs for U.S. manufacturing. The newly acquired greenfield site will provide future support for PSD-4–scale commercial production as well as continuous and batch tableting production. It will also be a hub for centralized logistics, enhanced quality control laboratories, and next-generation research and development facilities.  A Global CDMO with a Growing U.S. Footprint  Hovione has operated in New Jersey for more than two decades, establishing itself with a strong U.S. presence for the production of drug substances, intermediates, and finished drug products. A continued emphasis on an integrated service offering, including spray drying, supports delivering innovative medicines to patients more quickly.  The expansion of the East Windsor site addresses the rising demand for U.S. manufacturing and is an integral part of the company's ongoing global growth strategy, with facilities in Portugal, Ireland, and Macau. The company continues to bolster a cohesive network for drug development and commercial manufacturing unified by a corporate quality system and governance framework.  The integrated offering enhances development speed and eases technology transfers by unifying the team's technical skills, proprietary technologies, and digital platforms to efficiently produce drug substance to drug products at a single-site, through Hovione’s “one site, one partner” vision. Furthermore, Hovione’s strategic partnership model offers customers exclusive access to advanced technologies and resources while aiding in the optimization of their development programs and ensuring sustained value creation.  End-to-End Spray Drying and Particle Engineering: From Grams to Tons Hovione is a global leader in spray drying and particle engineering. Services include solubility enhancement and controlled-modified release via development and production of ASDs of both small and large molecules, supporting various modalities. ASD-HIPROS, Hovione’s proprietary spray drying screening platform, identifies optimal formulations that offer optimal performance and stability. By increasing production volume in the US, Hovione will meet customer demand for spray drying services:  Development services in the laboratory (1 g – 1 kg batches)  Pilot scale production (0.5 – 25 kg batches)  Small-scale production (5 – 200 kg batches)  Large-scale commercial manufacturing (50 – 400 kg batches) A Commitment to Sustainability  Hovione’s core values include a commitment to sustainability at all facilities. This commitment is reflected in a business strategy that focuses on improving the communities where the company operates. Hovione’s sustainability policy and strategy align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and include adherence to science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement to address climate change. Meeting these goals has required a dedication to process intensification and ensuring sustainability of manufacturing processes. This has been possible through strategic planning and commitments from senior management to ensure sustainability is addressed throughout the drug development life cycle.  Partner with a Technology-Leading CDMO for U.S. Manufacturing   As demand for poorly water-soluble drug formulations continues to rise in the U.S., expanding spray drying throughput is essential to meet the need for innovative therapeutics. With proven leadership in spray drying to manufacture ASDs, Hovione is able to support pharmaceutical companies by solving their solubility challenges efficiently and reliably.  Partnering with a CDMO that combines global leadership, advanced technologies, and the necessary manufacturing capacity in the U.S., drug developers can expedite time to market, ensure quality, and deliver innovative medicines to patients faster.  If your company is seeking access to the latest spray-drying capabilities, expanded U.S. manufacturing capacity, and an accelerated path to regulatory filing and commercialization, contact our team today.     

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Investment More Than Doubles Capacity for Spray Drying, a Critical Solubility Enhancement Technology That Could Benefit the Development of 70% of Drugs 27 October 2025 -- New Jersey, US -- Hovione, a fully-integrated global CDMO, today announced the completion of an initial multi-million-dollar investment cycle to expand its manufacturing site in East Windsor, New Jersey. Upon completion, this world-class campus will cover more than 200,000 square feet, integrating the latest technologies within sustainably designed facilities. The initiative advances Hovione’s long-term strategy to grow its U.S. operations and enhance its integrated drug substance, drug product intermediate, and drug product capabilities. 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) for the company´s customers that have an interest in having a supply node in North America. This investment more than doubles Hovione’s spray drying capacity in the United States, expanding capabilities for ASD development and commercial manufacturing. A global leader in ASD by spray drying for pharmaceutical applications, Hovione applies this critical technology to improve drug solubility and bioavailability across a wide range of compounds. Construction is already underway at the Hovione New Jersey site, with GMP operations planned to start in the second quarter of 2026. “Since launching our New Jersey operations in 2002, Hovione has been one of the longest established European CDMOs in the United States,” said Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Ph.D., CEO of Hovione. “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 U.S., we are strengthening the foundation that enables our partners to bring complex medicines to patients more efficiently.” Dr. Herbeaux continued, “This investment addresses growing customer demand for U.S.-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.” As part of this expansion, Hovione has also acquired additional adjacent land to enable future growth and ensure the East Windsor site continues to meet evolving customer needs. The 125,000-square-foot greenfield will support large-scale production, including continuous and batch tableting capacity, and introduce the next generation of pharmaceutical technologies and digital innovation with enhanced quality control and R&D capabilities. David Basile, Vice President of Technical Operations – Americas at Hovione said, “This expansion in New Jersey marks a significant step in extending our capabilities in the U.S., which go far beyond machine time or equipment capacity. We are integrating our teams, specialized assets, proprietary technologies, and digital systems to deliver distinctive end-to-end ASD and continuous tableting platforms to our customers. Through our new strategic engagement model, customers can gain privileged access to innovation and assets that accelerate their programs and create long-term value.” Hovione’s expansion in East Windsor forms part of a broader international growth plan that also includes capacity investments in Ireland and Portugal. Together, these initiatives will create a network of autonomous sites spanning the development and commercialization of APIs, drug product intermediates, and drug products, all under harmonized quality systems. Drug developers seeking to expand U.S. manufacturing capacity, gain strategic access to critical assets, or achieve an expedited pathway to filing and commercialization, are invited to contact Hovione at www.hovione.com/contact-us to discuss potential collaborations. Read the full article at IPTOnline.com    

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