Aenova expands Ireland site with spray drying tech to boost bioavailability

Aenova Group, a global CDMO based in Germany, is expanding its manufacturing site in Killorglin, Ireland, to include new laboratory- and pilot-scale spray drying capabilities for amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) and inhalation powders.

The upgrade reportedly aims to support formulation development for early-stage drug candidates with poor solubility and permeability — an issue affecting the majority of compounds in the pharmaceutical pipeline. Aenova said the new spray drying platform, supplied by Büchi and GEA, will help clients address bioavailability challenges and accelerate progress to clinical trials.

The Killorglin site, which handles active pharmaceutical ingredients up to OEB 4 and supports the use of organic solvents, will now offer end-to-end development and clinical supply capabilities in spray drying. According to the announcement, this expansion will also create new jobs in R&D, pharmaceutical technology, and analytics.

“With our new spray drying platform in Killorglin, we significantly expand our range of solutions to help customers overcome bioavailability hurdles and accelerate time-to-market,” Florent Bordet, chief scientific officer at Aenova, said in a statement.

The Killorglin investment follows another recent development by Aenova: the addition of a new cold and frozen storage warehouse at its sterile site in Latina, Italy. That expansion is designed to strengthen Aenova’s cold-chain capabilities for biologics, injectables, and other temperature-sensitive therapies, the company said.