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Lisbon, March 8th, 2023 – Hovione, the leader in spray drying and particle engineering, won the 2023 CDMO Leadership Award across all six categories – capability, compatibility, expertise, quality, reliability and service across all three groups of respondents (Big Pharma, Small Pharma, and Overall (combined Big and Small Pharma)). Hovione was given additional recognition as a CDMO Leadership Award Champion in the categories of Compatibility and Expertise for scoring as a top performer in comparison to the weighted average of other CDMOs included in the Industry Standard Research (ISR)’s annual Contract Manufacturing Quality Benchmarking survey.  Established in 2011 by Outsourced Pharma and Life Science Leader, the CDMO Leadership Awards spotlight excellence in Capabilities, Expertise, Quality, Compatibility, Reliability and Service. The CDMO Leadership Awards teamed up with ISR to determine the award recipients - 72 contract manufacturers were assessed by 23 performance metrics in ISR’s annual Contract Manufacturing Quality Benchmarking survey.  "We are honored and proud to receive this award in all six categories. This broad recognition reflects the dedication of our team to help our customers deliver much-needed medicines to the market," said Dr. Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione’s CEO. “This is not the first time Hovione is recognized by the CDMO Leadership awards and winning these awards once again reinforces our commitment to excellence and differentiation in the services we provide to our customers.”  “For over a decade, these awards have been the most meaningful for biopharma organizations striving to obtain optimal outcomes from their outsourcing activities. Our research arm, ISR Reports, which only surveys drug sponsors who have worked directly and recently with specific CDMOs, ensures the validity of these results. Our winners are your gold medalists of outsourcing.” Louis Garguilo, Chief Editor and Conference Chair, Outsourced Pharma. Hovione has been expanding worldwide, demonstrating the commitment to its customers. Hovione has been investing in new laboratory and production assets and innovative technologies to meet customer demand for integrated and differentiated services in manufacturing of drug substances, particles and drug products.  ​​​​​​ ​​​​​About Hovione Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing operations. As a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully integrated offering of services for drug substances, drug product intermediates and drug products. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione´s culture is based on innovation, quality and dependability. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, 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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Hovione receives the 2023 CDMO Leadership Award in all six categories and is Champion in Compatibility and Expertise

Mar 07, 2023

January 17, 2023, the companies certified as 2023 Top Employers have just been announced and Hovione has been recognized as Top Employer in Portugal, the United States of America and Ireland, geographies that encompass 90% of Hovione´s employee population. The Hovione site in Macau was purposely not included in the evaluation due to COVID-related restrictions.     This certification is a recognition of Hovione´s resolve to put people first, and a validation that the investment in HR excellence is delivering. Hovione’s People Strategy roadmap is focused on attracting and retaining the best to support the company´s business ambitions, and on providing employees and managers with a positive and rewarding work experience.   The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers six domains covering 20 topics including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Wellbeing, amongst others.   "Receiving this certification is a great motivator for the entire organization and most particularly for our HR Team which has been focusing on establishing best practices and on delivering on our people agenda. It is the confirmation that, as an organization, we are on the right path to make the difference. We understand that while we are not yet excellent in all dimensions, we are committed to maintaining a process of continuous improvement, by putting our people at the center of everything we do, always!" - commented Ilda Ventura, Vice-President for Human Resources and Member of the Management Board at Hovione.   Portugal Catarina Tendeiro, HR Senior Director for Portugal, highlights that “We are delighted to be recognized as a Top Employer. Hovione employees are our greatest asset and to know that our programs and culture meet such a high standard is illustrative of our commitment to the team. We strive to be an employer of choice through competitive pay, meaningful work, and an attractive company culture. At Hovione Portugal, our primary focus has been on attracting and retaining talent to develop our leadership capabilities. Over the last years we have increased pay levels and most recently, provided a special inflation bonus to counter the impact of inflation on our employees. These are just a few examples of how we put our employees in the center of what we do.”  This recognition comes after Hovione received the Randstad Employer Brand Award 2022 as the most attractive company to work for in Portugal in Healthcare, ranking 5th nationally across industries.     Ireland For Imelda Cummins, HR Director for Hovione Ireland, “This recognition underlines our belief that our people are our strongest asset and competitive advantage. At Hovione Ireland we work consistently to ensure competitive compensation and benefits, invest in the creation of a healthy work environment, promote regular wellbeing initiatives and most importantly, to improve, we listen!”     United States of America Beth Swiezkowski, HR Senior Director for Hovione in New Jersey adds, “We are delighted to be recognized as a Top Employer. Hovione employees are our greatest asset and to know that our programs and culture meet such a high standard is illustrative of our commitment to the team. We strive to be an employer of choice through competitive pay, meaningful work, and an attractive company culture. Over the last year we have increased pay levels and most recently, provided a special inflation bonus to counter the impact of inflation on our employees. We focused on employee well-being and engaged experts to deliver programs on managing stress, nutrition, and healthy eating and provided free healthy snacks daily. A paid full week shutdown was also added to our holiday schedule to ensure employees had time to relax and rest with their families at the end of the year. These are just a few examples of how we put our employees in the center of what we do.”       About Hovione Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully integrated offering of services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China as well as development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solution across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione´s culture is based on innovation, quality and delivery. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards.   About Top Employers Institute Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in People Practices. They help accelerate these practices to enrich the world of work. Through the Top Employers Institute Certification Programme, participating companies can be validated, certified, and recognised as an employer of choice. Established over 30 years ago, Top Employers Institute has certified 2052 organisations in 121 countries/regions. These certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of over 9.5 million employees globally.       

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Hovione is recognized as a Top Employer 2023

Jan 17, 2023

Lisbon, December 14, 2022, Hovione and GEA today announced a strategic collaboration to advance Continuous Tableting. This partnership stemmed from a successful customer-supplier relationship spanning several years. It combines GEA´s engineering expertise with Hovione´s development and manufacturing experience and both parties commit to partner to accelerate the adoption of Continuous Tableting technology. The advantages of continuous over batch manufacturing are well known. Continuous production systems allow for leaner and risk-reduced development paths, leaner supply chains, increased built-in quality, and in general, manufacturing processes of greater flexibility and reduced complexity. In the context of this strategic collaboration, Hovione and GEA will combine their strengths to further advance the technology and contribute to the establishment of new standards and new levels of market acceptance.  “Hovione has a track record in industrializing and democratizing emerging pharmaceutical technologies, such as amorphous solid dispersions by spray drying, and turn them into dependable and scalable offerings that are available to all.” Says Jean-Luc Herbeaux, CEO of Hovione. He adds “We have been committed to Continuous Tableting for the last 7 years and we are now ready to contribute decisively to the advancement of one of the most promising technologies in pharma manufacturing. This collaboration with GEA, gives us the opportunity to link up with a leading designer and supplier of Continuous Tableting equipment solutions and bring Continuous Tableting to the next levels of reliability, flexibility and adoption.”  Navin Lakhanpaul, Global Head Pharma-Solid Dosage, GEA, adds: “As a leading supplier of process technology, GEA has established itself as a trusted solution provider in the pharmaceutical industry, and as a pioneer in the development of Continuous Tableting technology.” He adds “Our relationship with Hovione over many years has clearly demonstrated the value in further collaborating and developing synergies in our respective areas of expertise. We share a common objective of enabling the wider use of Continuous Tableting in the Pharmaceutical Industry, and firmly believe that our partnership with Hovione will accelerate the growth of this exciting technology."     About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland, and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of and services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to became a Certified B Corp, is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in the industry standard setting process.   About GEA: GEA is one of the world's largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. The international technology¬ group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components, and comprehensive services. With more than 18,000 employees working across five divisions and 62 countries, the group generated revenues of more than EUR 4.7 billion in fiscal year 2021. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of production processes across the globe. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: "Engineering for a better world". GEA is listed in the German MDAX and the STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also among the companies comprising the DAX 50 ESG and MSCI Global Sustainability Indices.     Learn more about Continuous Tableting at Hovione  

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Hovione and GEA announce a strategic collaboration to advance Continuous Tableting

Dec 14, 2022

Lisbon, 6th September 2022 – Hovione, the leader in spray drying and particle engineering, announced today that it has expanded its continuous manufacturing offering and services. A new state-of-the-art continuous manufacturing facility is now coming online at the Loures site in Portugal. In addition, to support Hovione’s commitment to providing access and services for continuous tableting, Hovione has further strengthened its capabilities by establishing a highly experienced multi-disciplinary global team in continuous tableting and upgrading its labs with the tools needed to support the drug product lifecycle, thereby further guaranteeing competency and capacity from research & development to commercial production.   Continuous manufacturing is expected to change the landscape of drug product development and commercial production. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is partnering with the International Council for Harmonization and leading a global initiative to advance continuous manufacturing of small molecules and other pharmaceutical modalities. Hovione is offering customers a commercial continuous tableting platform prepared to support key control needs and deliver on operational excellence, mechanistic modeling, and appropriate process analytical technology (PAT). Additionally, Hovione´s quality system has been designed to support the release of continuous tableting products through automated in-process controls, deployment of real time release, and compliant digital infrastructure. This cutting-edge technology offers a distinct set of features and advantages including faster development of simpler processes, agile manufacturing for variable demand, robust control strategies and high process quality standards.  “Hovione has been historically focused on innovative technologies that benefit our customers and patients. With this investment in continuous tableting, our customers can rely on our support to bring much needed medicines to the market as fast as possible with the highest quality and manufacturing standards.”, comments Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione´s CEO. “We are investing to accelerate the adoption of this technology as we continue to innovate and enhance our offering around our areas of expertise.”   “This investment in continuous tableting from R&D to production further strengthens Hovione´s CDMO offering and responds to the growing customer interest.” says Filipe Neves, Hovione´s Strategic Business Director.  This latest investment in Continuous Tableting is part of Hovione´s broader strategy to build differentiated and enabling capabilities and assets to meet customers unique needs for oral dosage forms manufacturing.   About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully integrated offering of services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solution across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione´s culture is based on innovation, quality and delivery. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, 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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Hovione expands drug product offering with a new manufacturing line dedicated to Continuous Tableting

Sep 06, 2022

Lisbon 23rd of August 2022, Hovione and Zerion Pharma A/S (Zerion) today announced an extension of their collaboration on Zerion’s Dispersome® technology into the nutraceutical/dietary supplements field. Many dietary supplements suffer from low solubility. This results in poor bioavailability and consequently limits the physiological effect of the supplement. To overcome these limitations, the two companies will collaborate and apply the solubility enhancing Dispersome® technology for the development and commercialization of certain nutraceutical products.    The first product candidate selected for joint development is an antioxidant with multiple health benefits and known for its extremely low solubility and bioavailability. By applying the Dispersome® technology, Zerion has been able to demonstrate significant solubility improvements of this antioxidant. Under their collaboration, Hovione and Zerion will now upscale and develop commercial formulations of the antioxidant using the Dispersome® platform and make these products available for distribution by partners globally. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, the two companies will share income from the commercialization of these products according to their respective contributions.    In addition to the joint development projects, Zerion has granted Hovione an exclusive license to exploit the Dispersome® technology for other nutraceuticals/dietary supplements. In return, Hovione will pay Zerion license fees and royalties on sales of the licensed products.    “The low oral bioavailability of some of the health-promoting nutraceutical compounds is a well-known challenge. The problem is compounded by the fact that some of the solutions used in pharma cannot be used in foods.” says Jean-Luc Herbeaux, CEO of Hovione. He adds: “Hovione is thrilled to be Zerion´s exclusive partner for the application of Dispersome® to the fields of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. The Dispersome® platform and its enabling ingredient – beta-lactoglobulin or BLG – afford formulators new options which address unmet needs of the industry.”     “I am extremely pleased with this extension of our collaboration”, says Ole Wiborg, CEO of Zerion and continues: “The Dispersome® technology is actually very well suited for use in dietary supplements because it employs BLG as its solubility enabling component. BLG is a sustainable natural material and in itself a beneficial nutritional product that we source in high quality from Arla Food Ingredients. Since we as a company only have limited resources to exploit these promising applications of the Dispersome® technology in the nutraceutical field, the collaboration with Hovione is a win/win situation.”   In February 2022, Zerion and Hovione announced a strategic partnership aimed at commercializing the Dispersome® technology within the drug development field. Under this partnership, Hovione and Zerion are offering pharma and biotech companies worldwide access to an innovative drug delivery platform combined with an unparalleled experience in formulation development, scale up and GMP manufacturing. This unique combination provides customers in the pharma industry with a line of sight over the entire drug development life cycle from the preclinical phase to commercial drug product.   About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully integrated offering of services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solution across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione´s culture is based on innovation, quality and delivery. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards.   About Zerion Pharma ApS: Zerion develops proprietary drug formulations and offers the Dispersome® technology to established pharma companies as a means to solve their most challenging drug solubility problems. By applying the Dispersome® technology, the solubility of poorly soluble, oral drugs is greatly enhanced, which improves their bioavailability and therapeutic outcomes for the patients. Zerion was established in 2019 as a spinout from the University of Copenhagen based on almost a decade of research. (Dispersome® is a trademark of Zerion Pharma A/S)   Learn more about Dispersome® technology  

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Zerion Pharma and Hovione extend partnership to cover use of the Dispersome® technology platform in nutraceuticals

Aug 23, 2022

Lisbon, Portugal and Shanghai, China, 9 May 2022 – Hovione, the leader in spray drying and particle engineering, announced today an exclusive license agreement for a preclinical ophthalmology program, JX08, with Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Limited (JIXING).  JIXING is a biotechnology company headquartered in Shanghai and backed by RTW Investments, LP (RTW), a leading life sciences investment firm, that is focused on advancing innovative medicines for patients with ophthalmic and cardiovascular diseases. Under the license agreement, JIXING will receive global rights to JX08 and lead the full life cycle of development from preclinical through commercialization.  “We are excited to partner with Hovione and today’s agreement further strengthens JIXING’s ophthalmology pipeline beyond its current focus on presbyopia and dry eye disease,” said Peter Fong, PhD, board executive director, JIXING. “In addition, this agreement marks a significant step for the company as it highlights its development from a China focused, late clinical-stage biotech to an innovation pioneer with full life cycle development capabilities to reach customers and patients globally.” “We are extremely pleased to enter into this partnership with JIXING and help the company build upon its existing ophthalmology pipeline while further enhancing Hovione’s leadership position in spray dried dispersions” said Marco Gil, VP Sales at Hovione adding “Our highly experienced and committed teams can support pharma and biotech companies worldwide on their path to clinical success and commercialization, offering the best scale-up science, extensive manufacturing capacity and an excellent approval track record.” This Global License Agreement is aligned with Hovione’s strategy to offer integrated product solutions for drug delivery that co-create value with its partners and enable the development of innovative medicines that maximize patient benefit.  Destum Partners acted as business development and licensing transaction advisor to Hovione.      About JIXING: JIXING is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Shanghai committed to bringing innovative science and medicines to underserved patients in China with serious and life-threatening diseases. Backed by RTW Investments, LP, JIXING was founded in 2019 and partners with global biotechnology companies to develop and commercialize novel, innovative therapeutics to treat unmet medical needs in cardiovascular and ophthalmic diseases. With a strong and further developing asset pipeline, seasoned management team, and patient-centric focus, JIXING is dedicated to delivering a meaningful and lasting impact on patients in Greater China. For further information about JIXING, please visit www.jixingbio.com    About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully integrated offering of services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione is a company with a culture based on innovation, quality and delivery. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, 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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Hovione and JIXING Announce an Exclusive Global License Agreement for Ophthalmology Program

May 09, 2022

Lisbon, Portugal, 25 February 2022 – Hovione today announced that the Board of Directors and the shareholders have approved the appointment of Dr. Jean-Luc Herbeaux as Hovione’s Chief Executive Officer, effective 1st April 2022.     Guy Villax, who has been Hovione’s CEO for the past 25 years will now serve as a Member of the Board and shareholder. During his tenure, Hovione grew tenfold.  The company currently employs 2000 team members, serves the global market from four production sites in 3 regions, and is recognized as a leader in its field.       The Board of Directors expresses its thanks to Guy Villax for his dedication and outstanding achievements. During his career at Hovione, Guy Villax was also involved with the EFCG and Rx-360 associations and contributed to legislation being passed on both sides of the Atlantic to fight fake medicines and to level the playing field for GMP manufacturing.     “It has been a privilege and honor to lead Hovione over the last decades. Hovione is a great company because of its people and its clients. It has been an amazing entrepreneurial and human journey with so many projects and unforgettable success stories. I have seen this company, founded by my parents, growing, evolving and constantly re-inventing itself”, said Guy Villax. “Dr. Herbeaux joined Hovione nearly two years ago as COO and from day 1 brought change and contributed to financial and business successes.  We have worked together both on the strategy which will take Hovione to the next level and on making this transition smooth. I am certain that both the company and our Team-Members will continue to thrive under his leadership”, added Guy Villax.       “I am honored to be entrusted with the role of Hovione’s CEO and I am deeply motivated to lead this team of talented professionals. Building on Guy Villax´s legacy of innovation and customer intimacy, we will continue to work to drive long-term growth for both ourselves and our customers maintaining the Hovione values. Hovione puts customers and patients at the center of everything it does and this focus will not change. Our customers can expect us to continue to deliver on what we promise and to offer innovative approaches to their project needs.”, said Jean-Luc Herbeaux.     Before joining Hovione in May 2020, Dr. Herbeaux held multiple high-level leadership positions at Evonik, where he last headed the Health Care Business Line Dr. Herbeaux holds both a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a research focus on Rheology from the University of Houston.       About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland, and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of and services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to became a Certified B Corp, is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in the industry standard setting process.          

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Jean-Luc Herbeaux to become Hovione CEO

Feb 25, 2022

Lisbon, 22nd February 2022 – Hovione, the leader in spray drying and particle engineering, announced today a strategic partnership with Zerion Pharma to market and commercialize Dispersome®, Zerion´s proprietary solubility enhancement technology platform.   Zerion´s innovative Dispersome® technology builds on a new concept of increasing drug solubility by using natural protein-based excipients to formulate APIs into amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) by spray drying. By combining Dispersome® technology with Hovione’s unique spray drying capabilities, experience in development, scale-up and GMP manufacturing, Hovione further strengthens its leadership in amorphous solid dispersions and shows its commitment to innovative solutions to overcome one of the most prevalent challenges faced by the industry: low drug solubility.    “We are extremely pleased to have entered into this partnership with Zerion whom we recognize as a very innovative company in the field of oral drug formulations. By joining forces, Zerion and Hovione will be able to bring Dispersome® to the market faster. We look forward to applying the technology in collaboration with our customers and partners in our effort to develop novel drugs with strong benefits to patients.”, comments Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione´s Chief Operating Officer. “Hovione will continue to pursue opportunities to enhance its offering around core areas of expertise such as particle engineering and inhalation by partnering with companies and research institutions developing innovative drug formulation technologies, like Dispersome®”.   Zerion´s CEO, Ole Wiborg, sees a strong synergy in the partnership and expects it to generate new pharma partnerships. “We consider Hovione the global leader in the field of producing amorphous solid dispersions by spray-drying. More importantly for us, this leadership has resulted in Hovione being, over the last 5 years, the main commercial manufacturer of novel FDA-approved drugs formulated as amorphous solid dispersions. Incorporating these competencies in our offering to the pharma industry both validates the strength of our Dispersome® platform and provides us and our pharma partners immediate access to the highest quality in upscaling and commercial GMP manufacturing.” says Ole Wiborg.   The announcement of this partnership follows Hovione’s communication on a further expansion with an expected investment of $170 million in assets worldwide and shows the company’s commitment to also expand its technology platforms. Hovione is investing both in new assets and innovative technologies to meet customer demand for integrated and differentiated services in drug substance manufacturing, particle engineering and most recently drug product manufacturing.   About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a fully integrated offering of services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. The company has four FDA inspected sites in the USA, Portugal, Ireland and China and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA. Hovione provides pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs, including highly potent compounds, and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione is a company with a culture based on innovation, quality and delivery. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards.   About Zerion Pharma ApS: Zerion has pioneered the Dispersome® technology that greatly enhances the solubility of poorly soluble, oral drugs and improves bioavailability and therapeutic outcomes for the patients. The Dispersome® technology is based on preparing stable amorphous formulations by mixing high loads of the drug compound with beta-lactoglobulin, a sustainable and biodegradable by-product from cheese production. Zerion develops proprietary drug formulations and offers the Dispersome® technology to established pharma companies as a means to solve their most challenging drug solubility problems. Zerion was established in 2019 as a spinout from the University of Copenhagen based on almost a decade of research.     (Dispersome® is a trademark of Zerion Pharma A/S)     Learn more about Dispersome® technology  

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Hovione and Zerion Pharma announce a strategic partnership to market the Dispersome® technology platform

Feb 22, 2022

Lisbon, Portugal, 18th February 2022 – Hovione announced today that effective March 1st, or as existing contracts allow, it will increase prices for its Products and Offerings for the global pharmaceutical industry, such as Minocycline, Doxycycline, Ivermectin, Fluticasone, and Mometasone. The necessity of price adjustments stems from increases in the costs of raw materials, labor, energy, transportation, packaging, equipment, and maintenance. Price increases of up to 40% for off-patent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Portfolio Products are required to offset these effects and continue to provide products sustainably to the market. For Development and Manufacturing Services, price increases will be applied to recalibrate the price to cost ratios based on the specific conditions of each program. Hovione is dedicated to supporting the global pharmaceutical industry and patients around the globe with consistent and reliable supply meeting the most stringent technical, quality, and compliance requirements. We continue to invest in our people, sites, technologies, and products to ensure we meet this commitment. In case you have any questions about these price increases, please contact your account manager.   About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland, and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds and customized product solutions across the entire drug life cycle. In the inhalation area, Hovione offers a complete range of and services, from API, formulation development and devices. Hovione was the first Chemical/ Pharmaceutical Company to become a Certified B Corp, 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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Hovione increases prices for its off-patent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Portfolio Products as well as Development and Manufacturing Services

Feb 18, 2022

New Jersey, USA, 22nd November 2021 - Hovione, the global leader in spray drying and particle engineering announced that it is expanding its New Jersey site in East Windsor, laying the foundations for a state-of-the-art Hovione Campus. This expansion in New Jersey will create up to 100 jobs over the next few years is part of a global expansion strategy representing an investment of $170million in increasing its capacity at its sites in the USA, Ireland and Portugal and was recently announced by Guy Villax, Chief Executive Officer, and Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Chief Operating Officer at Hovione. In New Jersey, Hovione will add a 31,000 sqft building next to its current facility in East Windsor, New Jersey, laying the foundations for a state-of-the-art Hovione Campus. This investment will bring additional commercial spray drying capacity online by 2023. The expansion will allow the company to respond to the needs of customers who favor US-based manufacturing through their development cycles all the way to commercial. Additionally, it will solidify the Hovione’s integrated offer: API - Particle Engineering - Drug Product in the region. “Hovione has set the goal of becoming the leading company provider of innovative and integrated solutions for the global pharmaceutical industry by 2028. Given its dimension and above all, the extremely high regulatory requirements, the US market is fundamental for the company and this investment represents a key step in our expansion strategy” says Filipe Tomás, General Manager at Hovione in New Jersey. He adds that “Hovione was established more than 60 years ago in Portugal and the company’s sustainable organic growth has allowed us to strive for excellence, rigor, innovation and quality. Present in the US since 2002, we have ensured that these values remain at the forefront of what we do at the New Jersey site”.  About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds. For generic pharmaceutical customers the company offers niche API products. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services. Hovione is a company with a culture based on innovation, quality and delivery. 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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Hovione announces New Pharma Campus expansion in New Jersey

Nov 22, 2021

Jean-Luc Herbeaux, COO, and Guy Villax, CEO at CPhI Worldwide, in Milan.   Milan, 10th November, 2021 – Hovione, the global leader in spray drying and particle engineering, today announced that it is expanding its industrial facilities around the world to support its ambitious growth objectives. The company has been on an expansion track since 2016 in Portugal, Ireland and New Jersey with the aim of continuing to increase its capacity and capabilities to address customer needs.   The announcement of a $170 million investment in Hovione units in Portugal, Ireland, and New Jersey, leading to a global capacity increase of approximately 25%, was made at CPhI Worldwide, in Milan, by Guy Villax, CEO, and Jean-Luc Herbeaux, COO.    These investments will be used to support growth in the company´s pharma custom development and manufacturing service business, fueled by strongly growing demand for Hovione´s integrated and differentiated services in drug substance manufacturing, particle engineering and most recently drug product manufacturing. The expansion will go hand-in-hand with a build-up of Hovione´s global team with the creation of more than 300 new jobs globally. This strategy will allow the company to continue to address difficult-to-meet client needs while reinforcing its commitment to the Hovione values and standard of quality.   In the USA, Hovione will add a 2900m2 building next to its current facility in East Windsor, New Jersey, laying the foundations for a state-of-the-art Hovione Campus. The upcoming cycle of investment will bring additional commercial spray drying capacity online by 2023. Further investments will follow with the aim to solidify the company´s integrated offer: API - Particle - Drug Product in the region. This expansion will allow Hovione to accompany existing and new customers favoring US-based manufacturing through their development cycles all the way to commercial.   The capacity and capabilities of Hovione´s Cork site in the Republic of Ireland will also be upgraded to enable the production of Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPI) and to facilitate onboarding of Drug Substance Manufacturing projects of all sizes. The investment will create an ecosystem in which large customer projects with unique technologies can find a home by connecting to the existing infrastructure and equipment. The site will also receive a new commercial size spray dryer to support the growing demand for particle engineering services.    In Portugal, Hovione is ready to start operations of its most recent facility with an increase in chemical synthesis capacity for High Potency Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPI). The building is also prepared to receive a new commercial spray dryer to respond to the future needs of the global drug market.   “Hovione is in it for life and what better way to manifest this than through expansion of our global capacity and capabilities. Our sustainable organic growth strategy will allow us to keep true to those values that have been guiding us for more than 60 years”, says Guy Villax, Chief Executive Officer.   “These investments reinforce our integrated specialized offer globally, providing our clients with a line of sight for their projects. Focus is placed on facilitating and speeding up the drug development cycle and launch, by providing API manufacturing, Particle Engineering and Tableting services in each site. Our strategy continues to be to grow organically via investments in our existing sites, which are designed for purpose. This reduces the complexity associated with the growth journey and allows us to focus our management attention on what counts most, i.e. guaranteeing that our clients go to market with quality, safe and effective medicines for their patients” says Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione’s Chief Operation Officer.   About Hovione: Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds. For generic pharmaceutical customers the company offers niche API products. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services. Hovione is a company with a culture based on innovation, quality and delivery. Hovione is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards.     

Press Release

Hovione invests $170 million in new capacity and capabilities

Nov 11, 2021

Loures and Oeiras, May 27, 2021 – Hovione was a founding member of iBET in 1989 and has just re-joined the membership of the Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica. In order to increase the scope and strength of its research and development programs in the areas of novel and high potential pharmaceutical technologies, Hovione has chosen to build on the existing knowledge and expertise of Portuguese academia. Hovione is known worldwide for the process development, manufacture, and formulation of small molecules. Over the past 6 years, Hovione was the key technical partner behind 24 of the 273 NDAs FDA approved, an 8% share. The partnership with iBET will take Hovione to new technology frontiers. The Covid-19 pandemic has catalyzed an acceleration of scientific progress, outlining the power of new treatment modalities to fight diseases. The objective is to combine state-of-the-art knowledge from both partners to create strong industrial innovation in new therapeutic fields. The challenge is not trivial and will require more than the combined know-how, skills and capabilities of iBET and Hovione. “We are delighted with the return of Hovione to the membership of iBET. Our goal is to strengthen the R&D capabilities of our members, this important partnership with Hovione will allow to pull together complementary scientific competencies and power the development of biopharmaceuticals that are essential to patient health. To win in the area of biologics and novel therapies it is critical to have access to state-of-the-art competencies and support technologies” said Paula Alves, CEO, iBET. “The partnership with IBET opens a new chapter in Hovione's history. We will bring together our knowledge in chemistry, in cutting-edge technologies, of the market and of the FDA regulatory process with iBET’s command of cell biology, viral biology and bioprocessing. If the twentieth century was the century of chemistry, the 21st century is the one of biology. iBET scientists have built deep knowledge in specific areas, we plan to work together to turn that knowledge into industrial innovation” said Guy Villax, CEO of Hovione. “Hovione was a founding member of iBET and I had the privilege to meet Ivan Villax, a remarkable scientist and entrepreneur open to the world stage where Hovione plays a key role since its foundation. The experience in international collaborations and the complementary competencies that Hovione and iBET have built over the past 25 years in a parallel fashion will now combine in what I expect to be a fruitful collaboration” said Manuel Carrondo, Vice-President, iBET.   About Hovione: Founded in 1959, the multinational Hovione has today laboratories and plants in Portugal, Ireland, Macau, and the United States of America. Hovione researches and develops new chemical processes and produces active ingredients for the global pharmaceutical industry. Headquartered in Loures, the company employs 2000 people worldwide. Its research and development activity employs more than 420 technicians and scientists. For more information www.hovione.com   About iBET: Founded in 1989 as a Research and Development (R&D) institution dedicated to establishing bridges between academia and industry, the Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology (iBET) is today the largest Portuguese private non-profit institution, dedicated biotechnology research, an area in which he was a pioneer. A global reference in the application of biotechnology and bioengineering to health, iBET invests in the development of vaccines, antibodies, recombinant proteins, stem cells, gene therapy and other innovative therapeutic products. In addition to the health sector, iBET also has a strong position in the areas of Clinical Nutrition, Food Industry and the Agroforestry sector. iBET simultaneously develops more than 70 R&D projects, carried out by approximately 215 researchers, including doctorates, engineers, technicians and scholarship holders. Its competencies are supported by a dynamic and multidisciplinary academic and business network, which, together with its structure geared to obtaining applied results, allows it to transfer the knowledge it creates to companies, helping them to innovate, create value, employment, and economic growth. For more information: www.ibet.pt For more information, please contact: iBET: Hugo Soares | hsoares@ibet.pt | +351 915 680 594 Hovione: Isabel Pina | ipina@hovione.com | +351 91 750 7462  

Press Release

Hovione and iBET announce strategic collaboration

May 27, 2021

Cork, Ireland, 17 March 2021 – Hovione announced at the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS) Dry Eye Showcase the successful completion of its Phase 2 clinical trial in 270 patients with Dry Eye caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). The well controlled and representative study was conducted across 26 clinical sites in the United States and tested 2 different strengths of minocycline against vehicle in a 1:1:1 randomization. This is the first dry eye therapy targeting MGD patients with ocular inflammation demonstrated by an MMP-9 based diagnostic and the first and only ophthalmic formulation of minocycline in clinical development, contingently named Meizuvo®. The study observed superior clinical outcome in the 70% of patients with positive inflammatory biomarker at baseline, who achieved statistically significant (p=0.02) improvement of 25 points in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) discomfort after 2 weeks of treatment, dropping further to 35 points by the end of treatment (an improvement greater than 50%). The sign endpoint inferior Cornea Fluorescein Staining, which is a measure of corneal damage in dry eye, had a statistically significant improvement against vehicle in both active arms at day 57 (p=0.009). The product was safe and well tolerated with less than 3% of subjects reporting blurring vision or eye irritation. Carla Vozone, Vice President of the innovative proprietary portfolio at Hovione commented: “The correlation between the patients with a positive MMP-9 assay at baseline and the clinical improvement observed in both signs and symptoms of dry-eye was groundbreaking”. Ms. Vozone explained that investigational Meizuvo® not only has the potential of adding a much needed treatment specific for assay recognized inflammation, but could also reduce the risk of failure in the pivotal studies by inclusion of the patient sub-set most responsive to the drug. OIS panelists, who shared their Clinical Perspectives, consensually identified chronic inflammation as the underlying cause of Dry Eye Disease highlighting the relevance of diagnostics to recognize such inflammation. George Magrath, M.D., CEO of Lexitas Pharma Services stated “We were thrilled with the opportunity to work on this exciting project.  Minocycline is a well-known molecule for ophthalmologists and there is significant excitement from the ophthalmology community regarding the potential for a topical alternative. The results in the overall population were encouraging in both signs and symptoms.  The results in the inflamed group of subjects were impressive with consistent statistically significant results in key dry eye signs and symptoms.”   About Minocycline Ophthalmic Meizuvo® (contingent brand name), is the first minocycline repurposed for ophthalmic administration, targeting a novel indication for inflamed MGD. It is a preservative-free formulation enabled by Hovione’s proprietary minocycline base which is stabilized as a microparticle in a novel vehicle. The highly tolerable formulation maximizes bioavailability, efficacy and reduces systemic effects. Tetracyclines have been known to treat MGD through anti-inflammatory activity and inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Minocycline is of particular interest due to its lipophilic nature and resultant affinity to the meibomian gland. Previous research also suggests lipase inhibition effect, which decreases meibomian gland lipid degradation and consequently avoids the release of fatty acids, a synergistic mechanism of downregulating the inflammatory process. As such, minocycline has the potential to address several of the mechanisms that lead to the chronic nature of MGD.   About Inflamed Meibomian Gland Dysfunction MGD is a highly prevalent, chronic condition in the eyelid glands which alters the lipid composition of the tears and triggers evaporation-induced tear hyperosmolarity. Evaporative Dry Eye, which affects 27 million people in the USA, constitutes approximately 80% of all Dry Eye Disease and is largely caused by MGD. The pathophysiological changes of the meibomian gland and tear film instability trigger an inflammatory cascade which results in increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9). Left untreated, the MMP-9 activity in the tear will disrupt the corneal epithelial barrier and induce damage of the ocular surface causing ocular irritation and visual morbidity in dry eye patients. Hovione’s presentation made by Courtney Smith, Director of Business Development & Licensing is accessible here     About Hovione Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds. For generic pharmaceutical customers, the company offers niche API products. Hovione also provides proprietary product development and licensing opportunities for drug products. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services.    

Press Release

Hovione completes its Phase 2 clinical trial of the first minocycline ophthalmic

Mar 17, 2021

  Lisbon, Portugal, 12th January 2021 – Hovione, the leader in Pharmaceutical Spray Drying, today announced the launch of ASD-HIPROS, a proprietary screening service for spray dried dispersions. This platform is the most advanced and most accurate tool to identify optimal and commercially viable Amorphous Solid Dispersions formulation by Spray Drying (ASDs). During drug development, it is crucial to quickly find the optimal formulation assuring fast progress to clinical supplies and minimal formulation changes till commercialization.   ASD-HIPROS, the Hovione Intelligent PROprietary Screening methodology, is able to rapidly screen for the best combination of polymers, drug loads, surfactants and solvents by using an advanced computational tool followed by producing scale-independent representative samples of the most promising formulations, which are evaluated for performance and stability.   “ASD-HIPROS is a multiple-step screening service that was perfected in the last 15 years and is able to provide an accurate assessment of Spray Dried Dispersion, in less than 2 months and requiring as little as 5-g of API.” commented Dr. Filipe Gaspar, Hovione’s Chief Technology Officer. “Our accumulated experience and expertise in Spray Drying were used for the development of this platform. It offers a rational formulation definition using a combination of in silico computational modelling and high throughput formulation testing, maximizing the chances of identifying a winning formulation based on outputs obtained from Spray Drying prototypes”.   “We offer a seamless experience, for our customers, and a secure path for their drugs to clinical supplies and commercialization, thanks to our unmatched experience, know-how and manufacturing capacity.” stated Dr. Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione’s Chief Operating Officer.     About Hovione Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds. For generic pharmaceutical customers, the company offers niche API products. Hovione also provides proprietary product development and licensing opportunities for drug products. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services.     Contact Isabel Pina | Director External Communications ipina@hovione.com |Tel.: 0035121 982 9362    

Press Release

Hovione Launches ASD-HIPROS

Jan 12, 2021

Lisbon, Portugal, 23rd September, 2020 - Hovione today announced the signing of a partnership agreement with Ligand to significantly ramp up the production output of Captisol®. Captisol®, a Ligand product, is a chemically modified cyclodextrin proven to improve the solubility and stability of drugs. It is used in the formulation of Gilead’s Covid-19 treatment Veklury® (remdesivir). Hovione is the sole producer of this key enabling excipient. The Covid-19 pandemic has to date killed one million people; studies show that in the next 3 months cumulative deaths may more than double. “To meet Captisol® demand associated with Veklury®, Hovione will soon be producing per month the quantity it usually produces in one year. This sudden spike in demand has required unique mobilization efforts across the Hovione network to secure additional raw material supply, execute major capital expenditure projects at our sites, maximize operational efficiency, hire additional talent and identify external partners to expand our overall capacity, The pharmaceutical supply chain is working together in an unprecedented fashion to treat patients and save lives.  Hovione is privileged to be part of this truly global response.” said Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Chief Operating Officer. “Ligand values its longstanding partnership with Hovione,” said Matt Foehr, President and Chief Operating Officer of Ligand. “Their excellent customer service, global commitment to quality and high pharmaceutical standards make them an ideal partner for Captisol®, a critical component for a number of life-saving medicines. We commend them for responsibly and efficiently partnering with Ligand to manage the scale up and expansion of their operations to contribute to global health during the pandemic.”   About Captisol® Ligand’s Captisol® technology is a patent protected, uniquely modified cyclodextrin, with a chemical structure that was rationally designed to enable the creation of new products by significantly improving solubility, stability, bioavailability and dosing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). It uses a green manufacturing process that uses water as process solvent.   About Veklury® (remdesivir) Gilead Sciences’ Veklury® is an investigational nucleotide analog with broad-spectrum antiviral activity both in vitro and in vivo in animal models against multiple emerging viral pathogens. Multiple ongoing international Phase 3 clinical trials are evaluating the safety and efficacy of Veklury® for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, in different patient populations, formulations, and in combination with other therapies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) enabling use of the investigational antiviral Veklury®  to treat all hospitalized patients with COVID-19, in addition to the previous authorization for patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.   About Hovione Hovione is an international company with over 60 years of experience as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering services for drug substance, drug product intermediate and drug product. With four FDA inspected sites in the USA, China, Ireland and Portugal and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal and New Jersey, USA, the company provides branded pharmaceutical customers services for the development and compliant manufacture of innovative drugs including highly potent compounds. For generic pharmaceutical customers the company offers niche API products. Hovione also provides proprietary product development and licensing opportunities for drug products. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering a complete range of services.   Contact Isabel Pina | Director External Communications Tel.: 0035121 982 9362

Press Release

Hovione Announces Partnership to Support Manufacturing of Antiviral Veklury® for COVID-19

Sep 23, 2020

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