Press Room

Smart companies are focusing on internal training schemes to develop and mentor graduate employees. The challenge of attracting the right people in a highly competitive recruitment market is leading many organisations to consider developing their own talent from within. While formal graduate programmes are nothing new in larger organisations, such schemes are becoming more common at smaller companies. Recruitment firm Fastnet, which has offices in Cork and Dublin, has been successful at developing its own talent rather than hiring from competitors over the past 15 or 20 years, according to managing partner Niamh O’Driscoll. She said a formal graduate programme that brings people into the company at a very early stage was the next logical step. The first two graduates- one with a psychology degree and the other with a biochemistry background- have been taken on for the two year rotational programme. After six months getting to grips with all aspects of Fastnet’s business, the new hires will work in the talent acquisition division, focused initially on quality and laboratory, and then on engineering. “We have a very specific methodology and core values”, said O’ Driscoll. “The programme allows us to instil our values from the beginning and will help ensure there is a consistent pipeline of quality talent coming up”. Portuguese pharmaceutical company Hovione, which has a contract manufacturing site in Cork that employs more than 200 people, has also been looking at innovative ways of developing talent. “We’re quite a small company so we’re not going to have a huge internal mentoring or graduate recruitment programme” said human resources director Mary Hennessy. “We’ve tried to align with international programmes where we can facilitate one or two graduates.” INOV Contacto, is an EU-funded scheme that enables young Portuguese’s workers to work abroad for six months as interns in multinational companies. In Hovione’s case, the candidates typically have a master’s degree or a PHD in chemistry. “At the end of the placement it’s up to us if we want to offer a full-time position” said Hennessy. “Both of the participants so far have stayed with us and relocated to Cork as process engineers”. The company also participates in the Ibec Global Graduates Programme, taking on two people through this route each year. The 12 month programme involves six months working with the Cork team and six months based in one of the other Hovione sites in Lisbon, New Jersey or Macau. The company has gone on to hire six graduates through this programme. Read Article  

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The Sunday Times, February 18, 2018

Invest in talent to find future leaders

Feb 18, 2018

"This is a big story," says Guy Villax, CEO of the Portuguese API manufacturer Hovione. "I think the impact is going to be widespread."   Companies assess the short-term chaos and long-term promise that the campaign will have on their supply chains. When Xi Jinping came to power in China in 2013, the ambitious new general secretary claimed he would usher in an era of stricter enforcement of pollution control. Along with his highly publicized agenda to root out corruption, Xi declared that Chinese industry would be brought into line with global standards of environmental performance, significantly reducing smog and water pollution in and near major cities. Not that China . . . Read the article    

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C&EN, February 12, 2018

Drug chemical makers brace as China cracks down on pollution

Feb 12, 2018

Hovione doctoral researcher Beatriz Noriega returns to ISAB’s labs in Stockholm for her ongoing research into preclinical in vitro dissolution testing. She talks to Lab Blog about why she believes dissolution testing is critical, and how she’s hoping to prove it.   Hovione Ph.D. researcher Beatriz Noriega has been working for two years so far on her doctoral thesis, authoring four well-received posters and with two accepted for the next Respiratory Drug Delivery (RDD) Conference in April 2018. This is Beatriz’s second research visit to ISAB’s labs to use the in vitro simulation tool DissolvIt, as part of her work in the Particle Design and Inhalation Development department of Hovione’s R&D Drug Product Development. Her mission? “No matter how similar formulations may seem, until you analyze dissolution you never really know,” says Beatriz. She took time out from her research to talk to our ISAB Lab Blog.     Read the entire interview at Inhalation.se    

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LAB BLOG: Inhalation Sciences, February 8, 2018

Hovione Researcher on month-long study visit to ISAB Labs

Feb 08, 2018

Loures, Portugal, January 24th, 2018 – Hovione announced that a new MG2 Tekna Precision Capsule filling unit is now online in its Portugal facilities. This investment reinforces Hovione’s Services portfolio in inhalation product development capabilities, which include proprietary particle engineering technologies as well as formulation and capsule filling capacity to support from development to commercial scale projects. Hovione’s new MG2 Tekna Precision Capsule filling unit complements our offering in encapsulation for inhalation products and has capacity for up to 110,000 capsules per hour with 100% net weight check and is fit to process highly potent compounds (down to 30 ng/m3). This unit complements the MG2 Flexalab and Mettler-Toledo Quantos encapsulation units that allows capsule filling for Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. In parallel Hovione has installed capacity in particle engineering suitable for inhalation, namely a multiple scale Spray Drying units for highly potent compounds, as well as a new wet polishing suite, and strengthened its analytical characterization toolbox. From formulation composition, optimization and precision capsule filling with 100% fill weight check, to analytical characterization and scale-up to a commercial scale, Hovione can take product from the early proof of concept stages up to a fully developed and scaled process. Together with our API and particle engineering capabilities, we can fully develop and produce any Inhalation product at Hovione, from API synthesis to final drug product. “We are excited to announce this new integrated offering, all at the same site where our scientists work together in the interface between particle engineering and final drug product for the benefit of an optimal product performance. This will allow us to support our customer’s inhalation projects at all scales and contribute to accelerate drug development and manufacturing timelines,” said Filipe Gaspar, Vice President R&D.    “These investments are driven by significant client demand, since the market is looking for integrated inhalation product development solutions that reduce program risk and complexity. Hovione has all the ingredients for an outstanding partnership starting from clinical programs and into commercial supply.” Added Frédéric Kahn, Vice President Marketing and Sales. Based on more than 20 years of experience in inhalation, Hovione can speed up your inhalation drug development, from a very early stage to a late development stage. Working with Hovione allows partners to take advantage of cutting edge particle engineering technologies and state of the art analytical facilities operated by highly skilled and responsive scientists.   About Hovione Hovione has over 58 years of experience as a CDMO and is currently a fully integrated supplier offering 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 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.

Press Release
Hovione announced that a new MG2 Tekna Precision Capsule filling unit is now online in its Portugal facilities

Hovione strengthens Inhalation Services portfolio

Jan 24, 2018

Energy-efficient compressors and visualisation software have given Cork-based pharmaceutical firm Hovione more control over operating costs and energy use, writes Kenneth Lloyd. Hovione, a Cork-based pharmaceutical firm, has realised multiple benefits from leasing a high-end compressed air system under a lease agreement. The Portuguese pharmaceutical firm acquired its Cork site in 2009. It was a state-of-the-art facility although, inevitably, the company inherited some older equipment. In 2015, it was apparent that the compressed air system needed to be replaced due to inefficiencies and reliability concerns. However, the company had a preference for leasing, as opposed to buying, the equipment in this instance. It appointed compressed air solutions experts, O’Neill Industrial, to provide a new compressed air system under a lease agreement. The benefits of leasing the equipment in contrast to buying were multiple for Hovione: it has...   Read the article

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Engineers Journal, December 5, 2017

Economic and environmental benefits from energy-efficient compressed-air system

Dec 05, 2017

Cork, Ireland – Hovione announced today enrollment of the first patient in MARS (Minocycline Against Rosacea Study), a Phase 2 clinical study of topical minocycline (HY01) in moderate to severe papulopustular rosacea patients. MARS is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel, vehicle-controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 1% and 3% topical minocycline gel. HY01 will be evaluated once-daily over a 12-week treatment period and the study will also include a cohort to determine minocycline systemic pharmacokinetic parameters. The primary endpoint will include a change in inflammatory lesions from baseline. MARS will include 23 investigational sites across the United States and will enroll 249 subjects. The study is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. “Enrolling the first patient into our first phase 2 clinical trial is a milestone achievement for Hovione”, said Carla Vozone, Vice President of Product Development and Licensing (PDL). “Hovione has been a leader in tetracycline manufacture for over 40 years. The leap into developing a new, patented formulation of minocycline, and taking it into a phase 2 clinical study is a significant step towards the PDL business unit’s mission of developing innovative drugs that bring value to patients and our licensing partners.” HY01 uses a patent protected minocycline base, which exhibits properties that have the potential of improving safety and efficacy of minocycline administration. Hovione plans to out-license HY01 at the end of the phase 2 study. About Papulopustular Rosacea Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that primarily affects facial skin and manifests in different sub-types.  Subtype 2 rosacea (papulopustular) consists of constant erythema and transient inflammatory pustules and papules.  Rosacea affects more than 16 million people in the US and has an overall incidence of nearly 10%. The market for treating this disease is estimated at $1.1 billion annually. Oral tetracyclines have been used successfully in combating inflammatory diseases such as papulopustular acne or rosacea. Tetracyclines’ non-antimicrobial bioactivity is known to be associated with the drug’s ability to inhibit Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs), specifically MMP-9. Topical administration of minocycline in rosacea has the potential to displace the standard of care oral tetracycline therapies because it reduces systemic exposure, which is associated with serious adverse events. About Minocycline Topical Gel Hovione’s minocycline topical gel is a stable, proprietary formulation of crystalline minocycline base and oil-based excipients; in comparison, all minocycline formulations whether in clinical use or currently under clinical development, utilize minocycline hydrochloride as the active ingredient.  Hovione has secured patents for both the API and the drug product across the US and the EU with exclusivity through 2033.  Minocycline is believed to have superior anti-inflammatory profile as compared to other tetracyclines. About Hovione                                           Hovione is an international company with over 57 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 cGMP-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
A Phase 2 Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Inflammatory Rosacea with its Proprietary Minocycline Topical Gel

Hovione Announces Enrollment of First Patient in MARS

Dec 04, 2017

On the 24th of November, the winners of the 5th Business Awards of Macau were revelead. The winners were picked by a jury panel composed by 30 members of the jury, who selected what they considered to be the 46 best examples of contributions to promote the local entrepreneurial spirit, while advancing and increasing awareness for best industry practices and standards. Hovione was awarded the Innovation Gold Award.

News
The winners of the 5th Business Awards of Macau were revealed at a ceremony held at the Grand Lisboa hotel

Hovione is a Winner of the 5th Business Awards of Macau

Nov 24, 2017

Frankfurt expo showcases a transformation in contract R&D and manufacturing of drug ingredients. The pharmaceutical chemical sector is experiencing a prolonged period of profitability and a wave of transformation as companies invest profits in new ventures and new capacity. A picture of how the sector is evolving came into focus last month when CPhI Worldwide, the annual pharmaceutical ingredients exhibition, came to Frankfurt. The event­—the largest of its kind in the world, attended by more than 40,000 people—followed a year and a half of robust merger and acquisition . . . Read full article  

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C&EN, November 13, 2017

Growth strategies for pharmaceutical chemical makers on display at CPhI

Nov 13, 2017

What is happening to the CMO industry (particularly the pharmaceutical fine chemical industry) looks pretty similar to what it did almost 20 years ago. The attached 13 articles written between 1998 and 2005 -half of which were written by me- recount a well-known story: exuberance and over-investment results in write-offs and losses. What happened then was crystal clear to me when in 1998 someone came with a large cheque book convinced that a $500m API business could be built in 3-5 years. Shortly thereafter a well-known Deutsche Bank analyst’s report made sure the herd mentality took over. By 2005 most of the $15bn or so spent in M&A deals were mostly written off and a number of wonderful brands and several major companies had vanished. It is interesting to note that at the time that some entered the CMO business Honeywell was exiting and said: “...pharmaceutical chemical manufacture is a highly capital intensive business plagued by over-capacity, clinical trial failures, limited new drug approvals, new drug marketing disappointments, and price wars…”  Maybe there is an opportunity to learn from history. The challenge today is to check whether what looks the same is indeed the same, and whether what is really different can contribute to a different outcome. What remains to be seen is whether outsiders understand what they are getting into, and one thing is certain: when the dust settles you will have the usual suspects picking up the pieces. If anything we should be concerned because as of today over $33bn have already been spent in CMO related M&A activity in the last 4 years – in exactly the same pattern as in 1995-7, 1998-2000. Yours, Guy # Title  Type Author Date 1 The API Solution Provider article Guy Villax 1998 2 Aggressive goals - $500m in 3-5 years ppt Solutia 1998 3 Deutsche Bank analyst's report on CMO article DB 1999 4 Hovione in the CPHI show daily 2001 article Guy Villax 2001 5 Pharma Fine Chemicals - Nothing has changed! article Guy Villax 2002 6 Outsourcing: The dust has now settled  article Guy Villax 2002 7 European producers face unique issues article Maureen Rouhi 2005 8 Why Fine Chemical Business Development has failed  ppt Peter Pollak 2005 9 GMP fraud - largest ever penalties in criminal pharma  web www.infojustice.com 2005 10 Clients, competitors and Consultants  ppt Guy Villax 2005 11 Fine Chemicals Revisited  article Guy Villax 2005 12 5 years after its buying spree…  article Clay Boswell 2005 13 The Gold Sheet  article  Bill Paulson  2006 View the full set of documents (PDF, 8MB)   Guy Villax Hovione +351 917 888 899

Article
Guy Villax, November 10, 2017

Learning From History: For CMOs the Cycle is Back

Nov 10, 2017

        Loures, Portugal, September 27, 2017 – Hovione announced today the appointment of Mr. Frédéric Kahn as Vice President Marketing and Sales, as of 1st September, 2017. Mr. Kahn was most recently with Lonza and brings more than 30 years of experience in sales and marketing, finance and business management with a proven track-record of building and developing successful organizations. Based in Lisbon, Portugal, Mr. Kahn will report to Mr. Guy Villax, Hovione’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted to welcome Mr. Kahn to Hovione. He is an excellent addition to our management team as his diverse cross-functional experience in marketing and sales, business management and industry knowledge will help drive Hovione’s forthcoming growth. Mr. Kahn will be responsible for leading Hovione’s global Marketing and Sales activities, driving demand for products and services, as we continue our growth and focus on delivering the highest level of service to our customers”, said Mr. Guy Villax. “I am very proud to join Hovione, a company so highly respected in the industry for its ability to develop and produce innovative, high-quality products and I look forward to work with Hovione multi-functional teams of experts to develop the best solutions for our customers”, said Mr. Frédéric Kahn. Mr. Kahn started his career in 1985 as Division Controller of Rhone-Poulenc Organic Chemicals (later known as Rhodia Pharmaceutical Ingredients, later Aventis) where he held several senior executive positions in sales and business management in the US, Europe and Singapore. Mr. Kahn`s responsibilities focused on development, production and formulation of anesthetics and analgesics’ APIs. In 2003 Mr. Kahn joined NextPharma as Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing to generate sustainable growth by setting up a dedicated Key Account Management strategy and organization. After five successful years, Mr. Kahn joined the German Pharmaceutical Packaging and Medical Devices leader Gerresheimer based in Duesseldorf where sales to strategic accounts grew at double digit rate. His last role before joining Hovione was in Lonza as Head of Global Key Account Management. Passionate about sales and strategic account management, Mr. Kahn is a member of SAMA Association, holds a Bachelor of Sciences in Economics from the College of New Jersey and an MBA from ISG, Institut de Controle de Gestion, Paris.   About Hovione Hovione is an international company with over 58 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, 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 announced today the appointment of Mr. Frédéric Kahn as Vice President Marketing and Sales, as of 1st September, 2017

Hovione appoints Frédéric Kahn Vice President, Marketing and Sales

Sep 27, 2017

Empowering employees with a strong sense of ownership can lead to improved outcomes and increased cost efficiency. Guy Villax, CEO of Hovione agrees. As a CEO, he says, it has to be established that everyone in an organization shares responsibility for the quality of their products and that everyone must be quality-minded. Villax encourages his employees to be open and transparent and notes he’s often the first to call FDA or order investigation/root cause analysis if something goes wrong, so his teams can learn from issues and fix them. Villax says it’s important to keep patients in mind… the medicine they’re creating literally saves lives.   Read the full article

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Healthcare Packaging, September 12, 2017

Live from PDA/FDA: Culture of Quality

Sep 12, 2017

With demand soaring, drug service and other firms are challenged to keep talented scientists in the lab The analytical chemistry business is booming. Contract manufacturers have significantly expanded their analytical labs in recent years to keep pace with regulatory requirements and customer demand for data. At dedicated analytical service firms, business is growing as drug companies and customers in other industries seek out backup resources for their in-house labs and manufacturing plants. That growing demand is creating lots of analytical chemistry jobs. The sometimes-repetitive nature of the work, however, often leads chemists...    

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C&EN, June 5, 2017

Industry and academia rethink analytical chemistry

Aug 23, 2017

CMOs are embracing continuous manufacturing in several ways. Some (e.g., Patheon and Catalent) are investing directly in continuous lines that will be available to customers much like traditional lines. Other CMOs are collaborating with bio/pharma companies that have developed their own technology. In one widely reported example, Hovione is building a new suite at its East Windsor, NJ, site to house a continuous manufacturing line developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals to produce its own products. Hovione will operate the line and will be able to sell any uncommitted capacity to third-party customers. The Hovione-Vertex collaboration is an example of another way that CMOs are responding to the need for flexibility in manufacturing: developing new types of collaborations with clients. The traditional CMO business model, with multiple clients sharing the same tightly scheduled production trains, is not adaptive; it is basically a one-size-fits-all. CMOs must be more innovative in their sourcing arrangements (i.e., they must offer manufacturing arrangements that can adapt to the market response as the new product is rolled out).   Read article

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PharmTech, August 1, 2017

CMOs Must Embrace Flexible Manufacturing

Aug 01, 2017

Hovione New Jersey welcomed a team of 8 FDA Reviewers for two days training in its facilities. The training was organized under the scope of a training program FDA has in place to provide insight on how does industry apply QbD (Quality by Design), how a facility looks like, which challenges industry faces during development phases up to registration/validation campaigns. The 8 FDA members are reviewers of drug substance section as part of the applications for DMF, NDA and IND. TRAINING TOPICS Introduction to Hovione and New Jersey site Hovione Quality System Hovione methodology for QbD and Risk Assessment Strategy QbD methodology: A Case Study Plant Tour Workshop on Risk Assessment

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Hovione New Jersey welcomes a team of 8 FDA Reviewers for a training on Quality by Design (QbD)

FDA Training at Hovione New Jersey Site

Jul 10, 2017

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