Press Room

Event

ECA Conference: Spray Drying - Solutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Start

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

End

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

The ECA Conference in Spray Drying takes place in Lisbon, Portugal, September 24-26. Register today

Spray drying is presently one of the most exciting technologies for the pharmaceutical industry, being an ideal process where the end-product must comply with precise quality standards regarding particle size distribution, residual moisture/solvent content, bulk density and morphology.

At Hovione, we are proud to be part of this innovative field and are excited to join leading individuals from industry, academia and regulatory agencies at the ECA Conference on “Spray Drying - Solutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry”.

Register today

and take advantage of the unique opportunity to visit Hovione's cutting-edge labs and manufacturing facilities in Lisbon, Portugal

The objective of the conference is to offer a platform for exploring spray drying technology and processes. Attendees will see firsthand demonstrations of solutions for diverse requirements and benefit from a site visit to gain hands-on experience in Spray Drying.

Speakers

Dr. Sune Klint Andersen, Janssen Pharmaceutica
Dr. Jean-René Authelin, Sanofi
Dr. Rainer Nicolai, F. Hoffmann La-Roche
Simon Phillips, Nova Laboratories
Dr. João Pires, Hovione
Dr. Thomas Quinten, Janssen Pharmaceutica
Dr. Inês Ramos, Hovione
Dr. Harald Stahl, GEA

Join the conference's sessions led by our experts

"Amorphous solid dispersions by Spray drying from a formulation perspective"

Inês Ramos, Ph.D., R&D Manager, Formulation, Oral Drug Product Development

Description: The manufacturing of Amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) has become an established and commercially demonstrated strategy to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. ASD formulation typically requires the definition of multiple factors that can amount to extensive lab experimentation, hindering fast-to-market. This lecture will provide an overview of how to design a Successful Formulation for Amorphous Solid Dispersions Produced by Spray Drying, using a streamlined approach and a proprietary technology to expedites the screening phase with minimal API requirements. An overview of Hovione’s methodology, the evaluation process, and the studies typically utilized, insights on alternative excipients, as well as key information needed to make a formal assessment of the best candidates will be provided resorting to case-studies.

"Scale-Up of a Spray Drying Process"

João Vicente, Ph.D., R&D Director, Corporate Technical Services

Description: A spray drying process will be subjected to multiple scale-up steps throughout the product’s life-cycle, thus requiring a robust process understanding to control the products properties. The scope of this talk is to describe the knowledge and risk based methodology that guides the stages from the process design up to qualification and commercial phase of a spray drying manufacturing process. The lecture will focus on predictive tools used to support process/product development and scale-up activities.

"Tailoring Spray Drying Processes for Biopharmaceutical and Respiratory Formulations"

João Pires, PhD., R&D Senior Manager, Process Development, Inhalation and Advanced Drug Delivery

Description: This presentation is dedicated to exploring the primary requirements and potential challenges inherent in applications of spray drying with highly particular specifications such as biopharmaceutical and respiratory formulations. The discussion will delve into the intricacies of accommodating these specifications and de-risking the process during its evolution from laboratory-scale up to commercial manufacturing. By focusing on these nuances, the aim is to provide insights into optimizing the spray drying process for various pharmaceutical contexts, with a keen emphasis on achieving overall product quality with the shortest risk and time-to-market.

Key learnings:

Requirements & challenges when applying spray drying for biopharmaceutical and respiratory products
Adaptation of specifications and de-risking of the process during its development from laboratory scale to commercial production
Optimisation of the spray drying process for assuring product quality, minimize risk and assure shortest time to market


Inês Ramos, Ph.D. Manager R&D Oral Drug Product - Formulation Group	João Vicente, Ph.D. Director R&D Corporate Technical Services	João Pires, Ph.D. Senior Manager R&D Process Development, Inhalation and Advanced Drug Delivery

More about the Conference, Speakers and Programme

More about the Site Visit:

As part of the conference, registered participants will have a unique opportunity to visit Hovione's cutting-edge labs and manufacturing facilities in Lisbon, where research, development, and manufacturing activities take place.

In the labs you will gain access to Particle Engineering facilities, explore some of the most advanced analytical PAT tools, and get a close look at the specialized equipment used in spray drying development. You will also have the chance to observe analytical and process development operations, guided by Hovione experts.

During the visit to the manufacturing facilities, you will witness a state-of-the-art facility in action, showcasing a commercial spray drying unit.
Please note that availability for this exclusive site visit is limited, so securing your spot early is highly recommended to ensure you don't miss out on this opportunity to experience Pharmaceutical innovation at Hovione.

We provide bus transfer from the conference hotel to the Hovione sites. After the site visit there will be transfers to the airport and back to the conference hotel
Due to competition reasons, individual participants may be excluded from the site visit
Participants are required to sign a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) before entering Hovione sites

More about the ECA Academy:
The ECA Academy is the educational organisation established by the ECA Foundation. It develops and organises a wealth of international education courses, conferences (also as part of a GMP Certification Programme) and webinars around GMP and regulatory compliance, picking up emerging GMP challenges and currently discussed subjects. While courses and webinars are designed to provide continuous education for GMP professionals in production, quality control, quality assurance etc, European conferences are organised as discussion forums on new trends and developments.

If you have any questions about the Conference:
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 / 84 44 0
www.gmp-compliance.org

The Leader in Spray Drying

With the largest number of commercial projects, the best science and engineering, the largest capacity, and the most experienced team, Hovione can take your project from development to market like no one else.

Learn more on how to overcome your solubility issues with the best scale-up science.

Also in the Press Room

See All

ViSync® Technologies, a joint venture between Hovione, a global specialist integrated CDMO and leader in spray drying and particle engineering, and iBET (Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica), a not-for-profit R&D institution specializing in Biotechnology and Life Sciences, is proud to announce the appointment of Elsa Abranches as its Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal, ViSync® Technologies was established to address unmet technological needs in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on developing innovative solutions for the cell and gene therapy space. By leveraging Hovione's expertise in pharmaceutical development, particle engineering, and industrialization, alongside iBET’s pioneering research in biotechnological sciences, ViSync® is uniquely equipped to drive innovation in targeted delivery and stabilization of next-generation therapies. Dr. Elsa Abranches brings over two decades of experience in cell and gene therapy, with a strong track record of leading diverse teams in dynamic environments. In her new role as ViSync® CSO, she will drive the company’s R&D strategy and scientific vision, positioning ViSync® as a leader in innovation within the dynamic and rapidly advancing field of cell and gene therapy. “We are thrilled to welcome Elsa Abranches as Chief Scientific Officer of ViSync®,” said Dr. Christoph Bruecher, Chairman of the Board of ViSync® and VP Business Transformation at Hovione. “Her expertise and vision in the field of advanced therapeutics will be pivotal in driving ViSync’s mission to create transformative solutions that empower pharmaceutical companies and improve patient treatment outcomes.” Dr. Manuel Carrondo, Director of the Board of ViSync® and Vice President of iBET, added, “Elsa’s appointment underscores our commitment to establishing ViSync® as a leader in cell and gene therapy innovation. Her scientific leadership will be critical as we tackle some of the most pressing challenges in the field of new modalities drug delivery.” Elsa Abranches, new Chief Scientific Officer of ViSync®, said: “Having worked in different countries and industries, I’m thrilled to bring my experience back home to join ViSync®. This new venture represents an incredible opportunity to collaborate with local and international partners to drive innovation in advanced therapeutics and help shape the future of life-changing therapies”. 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) it has 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 manufacturing, capsule filling and devices. Hovione's culture is based on innovation, quality and dependability. Hovione is a member of Rx-360, EFCG and participates actively in industry quality improvement initiatives to lead new global industry standards. About iBET iBET is a private non-profit institution devoted to biotechnology research, with 35 years of experience creating and transferring knowledge to the global biopharma and biotech sectors. iBET’s core expertise lies on the development of bioprocesses and analytical tools for Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products (ATMPs), including cell and gene therapies, vaccines, antibodies and other innovative therapeutic products. Leveraged by the emerging areas of Data Science and Translational Immunology, we offer bespoke R&D services from early-stage R&D to GMP manufacturing. iBET’s infrastructure comprises cutting-edge laboratories, a GMP certified Analytical Services Unit, and a Late-Stage R&D and Bioproduction Unit, covering upstream and downstream process development, bioanalytical tools for critical quality attribute monitoring, to scale-up and tech transfer. iBET also hosts satellite laboratories of major pharmaceutical companies and serves as an incubation platform for start-up/spin-off companies. iBET is driven by its innovative and agile culture of continuous improvement and a strong sense of ambition, ownership and commitment in developing and delivering the best solutions to our stakeholders.

News

ViSync® Technologies, a joint venture between Hovione and iBET is proud to announce the appointment of Elsa Abranches as its Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).

ViSync® Technologies appoints Elsa Abranches as Chief Scientific Officer

Dec 19, 2024

International pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Hovione has today officially commissioned an expansion at its manufacturing facility in Ringaskiddy. The multi-million euro investment almost doubles the capacity of Hovione’s spray drying facilities in Ireland and will create more than 20 new positions. Hovione said this latest investment reinforces the company's position as a global leader in spray drying for pharma applications. This manufacturing technology, the company explained, is "especially important for inhalable therapies and oral medications with low bioavailability, enabling more effective treatments". Deputising for the Mayor of the County of Cork, councillor Audrey Buckley said: “I am delighted to welcome this very significant investment and the creation of further highly skilled jobs in Cork today. “It reinforces Hovione’s commitment to the region and the innovative solutions it provides to the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland.” Meanwhile Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner-Designate for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law, welcomed the expected jobs boost the expansion is to create. “This latest investment highlights the success of Hovione’s facility in Ringaskiddy, and underlines the continued resilience of Ireland’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. “I am delighted that Hovione will be shortly welcoming new team members to this expanded facility, and I wish both them and Hovione every success”. Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione's chief executive said: “This newly opened facility further strengthens Hovione's position as the global CDMO of choice for spray drying development and manufacturing services. “It also underscores our commitment to bringing first-in-class technology and world-leading manufacturing services to Irish shores. “Ireland provides a superior environment for pharmaceutical manufacturing, and we are delighted to be a part of it.” CEO of IDA Ireland, Michael Lohan, said Hovione "has made a significant contribution both locally and nationally through employment and investment alike". "We warmly welcome Hovione’s commitment to investing in Cork and we wish them continued success," he added. Read the full article on EchoLive.ie

Press Clipping

EchoLive, 25 November 2024

Pharma company announces expansion of Cork facility to create more than 20 new jobs

Nov 25, 2024

Pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing company Hovione has officially commissioned an expansion at its manufacturing facility in Ringaskiddy, Cork. Announcing the development on Monday, the multi-million euro investment almost doubles the capacity of Hovione’s spray drying facilities in Ireland and will create more than 20 new positions. This manufacturing technology is especially important for inhalable therapies and oral medications with low bioavailability, enabling more effective treatments, the company said. Deputising for the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Audrey Buckley said: “I am delighted to welcome this very significant investment and the creation of further highly skilled jobs in Cork today. "It reinforces Hovione’s commitment to the region and the innovative solutions it provides to the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland.” Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner-Designate for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law said: “This latest investment highlights the success of Hovione’s facility in Ringaskiddy, and underlines the continued resilience of Ireland’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. "I am delighted that Hovione will be shortly welcoming new team members to this expanded facility, and I wish both them and Hovione every success”. This latest investment builds on the momentum of the recently announced spray drying capacity expansion at the Company's East Windsor, New Jersey, site. Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione´s Chief Executive said: “This newly opened facility further strengthens Hovione´s position as the global CDMO of choice for spray drying development and manufacturing services. "It also underscores our commitment to bringing first-in-class technology and world-leading manufacturing services to Irish shores. Ireland provides a superior environment for pharmaceutical manufacturing, and we are delighted to be a part of it.” IDA chief executive Michael Lohan said the company has made a significant contribution both locally and nationally, adding: "I am pleased to be here today to mark another step on that journey. We warmly welcome Hovione’s commitment to investing in Cork and we wish them continued success.” Read the full article on IrishExaminer.com