| By Alex Shaw, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing News |
| Monday, 09 June 2008 |
 |
Today the generic industry worldwide benefits from legacy of Hovione's efficient processes in the production of many active ingredients such as, minocycline, roxithromycin, iopamidol and iohexol, products where Hovione still retains a leading role in several major countries. Founded 1959 by three Hungarians, HOrty, VIllax and ONody, who created an an acronym from there names to form the corporate identity of Hovione, the name that is today associated with active pharmaceutical ingredients. Hovione's key founder Ivan Villax (1925-2003) had often been quoted |
|
saying, “he had left his country aged 23 with a toothbrush in one pocket, a chemical engineering diploma in the other and the Russians at his heels".
A refugee from Hungary, Villax worked at the Center de Recherches Agronomiques de Clermont-Ferrand in France where he isolated soil samples, tetracycline producing strains that he later named Streptomyces lusitanus. Upon joining the Institute Pasteur de Lisboa in 1952, then one of the leading pharmaceutical laboratories in the country. His first inventions were in the area of chloramphenicol preparation and tetracycline and penicillin fermentation. Six years later he and his future business |
|
|
colleagues created Hovione. For the first 10 years of Hovione's existence as a commercial entity, the company was a research laboratory located in the basement of the family house, not far from the American and British embassies
As Ivan made chemistry in test tubes, Diane (his wife) typed out invoices and for the next 45 years. During this period a close collaboration developed with Fermentfarma Spa, Milan, whereby Villax became the technical director and a minority shareholder. In 1967 Rachelle Laboratories bought Fermentfarma and the proceeds of Ivan Villax’s share were used to build the first Hovione plant in Loures, just outside Lisboa.
At this stage Villax was able to directed his research efforts to chemical synthesis. In the Loures plant he developed and industrialized an 18 consecutive step process to produce betamethasone and its derivatives, and throughout the 70s Hovione enjoyed a privileged position in Japan, thanks to Villax's independent process patents. During 1978 Villax established offices in Hong Kong and in the same year Hovione's first purchasing visit to the Canton fair took place.
With the expansion of the Loures plant, business was booming from the US generic market with semi-synthetic antibiotics, resulting in the Macau plant in 1985 to provide additional capacity. |
|
Hovione's product still hold true todays controlling 75% of the market share. In 1987, dexamethasone dipropionate, a Hovione patented development, was launched in Japan where it quickly became the top selling product in the topical anti-inflammatory therapeutic class. During the 90´s, Hovione developed and supplied contrast media agents, focusing on meeting the outsourcing needs of the Pharma Industry. Over 15 years ago Hovione started to offer skills to the innovators and became a leading supplier of development services and clinical trial materials offering continuity into commercial manufacturing. In 2006, Hovione provided all the services related to the API for 41 NCEs in development (Phase I to NDA filing). Earlier this year Hovione continued its commitment to the manufacturing industry in Asia when it secured 75% of shares in the Hisyn Pharmaceutical Company in China's Zhejlang Province.
From the early days of the young Villax, fleeing Hungary with only his toothbrush and chemical degree, Hovione has now become a household name amongst pharmaceutical manufacturers, providing worldwide services for both exclusive contract manufacturing partner or existing API for an off-patent product.
|
|
|
