Hovione holds groundbreaking for expansion of its New Jersey facility
The expansion will include a new commercial spray dryer for potent drug substances
Hovione has held the official groundbreaking for the $24m expansion of its New Jersey facility in East Windsor, US.
The expansion will add an additional 2,843m2 to the existing 2,211m2 facility and introduce a new commercial spray dryer unit to complement the existing pilot unit and this installation will be specifically designed to handle potent drug substances (APIs).
In addition, the Hovione New Jersey facility will more than double the Portuguese firm's capacity to manufacture drug substance. The expansion is expected to add approximately 60 new jobs to the current workforce over the next three years.
'The start of the construction activities to expand our site in East Windsor is a very exciting moment for us and for our customers,' said Dr Marco Gil, General Manager, Hovione New Jersey.
The start of the construction activities to expand our site in East Windsor is a very exciting moment for us
'This is an important step to strengthen our continued commitment to the pharmaceutical industry and to the patients by offering innovative technologies and services.'
He added that the site will be unique in offering at a single location drug substance, spray drying, hot melt extrusion and drug product manufacturing services using innovative continuous manufacturing technology.
'The state and especially the local government have been extremely supportive and we are happy to strengthen our presence in East Windsor by creating highly qualified jobs in the local community,' he said.
This investment is part of the company’s strategy to increase its global development and commercial capacity to meet the increasing demands of Hovione’s customers in the API and spray drying services. It will also include the addition of a continuous drug product manufacturing capability to its offering through the partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced earlier this year.
The start-up of the expanded facility is expected to take place in April next year for the drug substance and spray drying services, while the continuous drug product manufacturing is planned for the end of 2017.
