Hovione, a specialist integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) involved in spray drying and particle engineering, has acquired ExtremoChem Lda, a start-up focused on the synthesis, development, and commercialization of bio-inspired synthetic sugars, targeting enhanced stabilization, reduced viscosity and delivery performance of proteins and other biopharmaceuticals.

ExtremoChem developed a library of proprietary sugars, synthetic analogues of natural molecules found in extremophiles – organisms capable of withstanding the most uninhabitable environments. These sugars have shown potential in overcoming challenges associated with the stabilization of biopharmaceuticals during production, purification, formulation, and transportation.

Jean-Luc Herbeaux, Hovione’s CEO said, “Proteins and other biopharmaceuticals account for a significant share of our customers ´pipelines.  The acquisition of ExtremoChem’s synthetic sugars combined with Hovione’s particle engineering capabilities provides our customers with a unique set of tools to optimize formulations that address stability issues encountered during the life cycle of biopharmaceuticals.”

Filipe Aguiar, ExtremoChem’s managing director said, “I am delighted that ExtremoChem has been acquired by Hovione. Hovione has a long history of developing and industrializing innovative technologies for the pharma industry. This acquisition will help ensure that the science we developed at ExtremoChem will have a wider and faster market adoption.”