Press Room

Press Release / Sep 19, 2024

Hovione and iBET Announce the Establishment of ViSync® Technologies: A Venture in Cell and Gene Therapy Solutions

Commitment to partnership and joint innovation for cell and gene therapies

Jean-Luc Herbeaux, CEO of Hovione, Paula Alves, CEO iBET, and João Almeida Lopes, President of iBET | Hovione

From left to right: Jean-Luc Herbeaux, CEO of Hovione, Paula Alves, CEO of iBET, and João Almeida Lopes, President of iBET.

Lisbon, Portugal: Hovione, the specialist integrated CDMO and leader in spray drying and particle engineering, and iBET (Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica), a private not-for-profit research-intensive SME in the area of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, are proud to announce the official establishment of ViSync® Technologies as a jointly owned venture.

The creation of this new company, headquartered in the Lisbon area of Portugal, illustrates the parent companies´ commitment to partnership and joint innovation. ViSync® will aim to develop innovative solutions to address the unmet technical needs of pharmaceutical companies in the cell and gene therapy space, leveraging Hovione's extensive expertise in pharmaceutical development, Particle Engineering and industrialization of pharmaceutical technologies and iBET's cutting-edge research in biotechnological sciences. One of the first focus areas of ViSync® will be to develop technologies that improve delivery and stabilization of new modality therapies.

"We are delighted to join forces with iBET - a leading R&D organization in Biotechnology and Life Sciences – in the establishment of ViSync®.” says Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione’s CEO. “By combining Hovione´s expertise in drug formulation, manufacturing process development and scale up with iBET´s broad understanding of new modalities, we aim to devise new solutions to help pharma companies launch innovative medicines and improve health outcomes for patients.”

“The creation of ViSync® marks a significant milestone for iBET.” says Paula Alves, CEO of iBET. “By combining our cutting-edge biotechnological research in the cell and gene therapy fields with Hovione’s extensive pharmaceutical development expertise, we are well-positioned to develop innovative approaches for targeted delivery and stabilization of new modality therapies. We are excited about the potential of ViSync® to drive substantial advancements and deliver significant benefits to patients worldwide.”

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.

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Three is the magic number for Hovione as it’s once again been certified as a top employer. For the third consecutive year, all four of its manufacturing sites - Lisbon, Cork, East Windsor in USA, and Macau - have been certified as Top Employers by the Top Employers Institute. Hovione is an international integrated pharmaceutical development and manufacturing organisation. This certification follows, Hovione said, a rigorous audit process. Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Chief Executive Officer, Hovione, explained: “This recognition reflects the exceptional dedication and collaboration of the entire Hovione team. Hovione is a development and manufacturing service company operating in one of the most demanding and regulated industries. We understand that our success is deeply rooted in our people. “Together, as One Hovione, we are committed to continuously refining our practices to foster a workplace that inspires motivation and enhances employee satisfaction, so that, every day, our team members bring their best selves to work, driving innovation and excellence at every step,” Jean-Luc added. Ilda Ventura, Senior Vice-President of Human Resources and Member of the Management Board, Hovione, said: “This distinction underscores our unwavering commitment to our people. At Hovione, we design our HR systems and processes to ensure that every team member enjoys a consistent and fulfilling experience, regardless of their role, function, or location.” Imelda Cummins, HR Director for Hovione Ireland, said: “This distinguished accreditation is a testament to our commitment to establish frameworks to attract, engage and retain top talent. We believe that our people are our greatest asset, and this recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire team who strive every day to foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Receiving the Top Employer accreditation is motivation for us to keep pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an exceptional employer.” Hovione recently celebrated the opening of a multi-million euro expansion at its site in Ringaskiddy, which almost doubled the capacity of its spray drying facilities. Read the full article on CorkIndependent.com

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Cork Independent, 22 January 2025

Hovione gets top employer accolade

Jan 22, 2025

Hovione has once again solidified its position as a top employer in all four of its manufacturing sites - Lisbon (Portugal), Cork (Ireland), East Windsor (NJ, USA), and Macau. The program highlights the company’s significant advancements in several critical areas, including Purpose & Values, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Employer Branding, and Recognition & Rewards, driven by sustained investment in people. This certification from the Top Employers Institute follows a rigorous audit process and underscores Hovione’s consistency in investing in people and world-class workplace practices, as well as the unwavering commitment of its more than 2,300 employees to the company's core purpose and values. “This recognition reflects the exceptional dedication and collaboration of the entire Hovione team,” said Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Chief Executive Officer. “Hovione is a development and manufacturing service company operating in one of the most demanding and regulated industries. We understand that our success is deeply rooted in our people. Together, as One Hovione, we are committed to continuously refining our people practices to foster a workplace that inspires motivation and enhances employee satisfaction, so that, every day, our team members bring their best selves to work, driving innovation and excellence at every step.” Macau, which became the first company in the region to achieve Top Employer certification last year, has successfully renewed the status, solidifying Hovione’s global leadership in workplace excellence. With its consistent Top Employer recognition, Hovione demonstrates that the talent strategy is perfectly aligned with the business strategy. Watch Ilda Ventura, Senior Vice-President of Human Resources and Member of the Management Board of Hovione, video about what this certification means for Hovione. For additional information, please read the press release.

News

The certification is granted to Hovione's four manufacturing sites for the third consecutive year.