The development of new drug products for a wide range of therapeutic areas is a rapidly growing market. Therefore, a smart innovation strategy is essential for contract developers and manufacturers. Aenova is expanding its development and production portfolio, particularly in the area of bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The development of new drug products and forms of therapy is progressing rapidly. For contract developers and manufacturers, this means staying on the cutting edge of production technologies and actively supporting customers with innovative approaches as early as the development service stage. At Aenova, one of the world's leading CDMOs, there are currently various initiatives for differentiated technologies within the innovation strategy, which are primarily targeted at patient-friendly forms of therapy based on complex therapeutic systems and the improved bioavailability of active ingredients.

Differentiated technologies for complex therapeutic systems

In the field of complex solid dosage forms, intelligently encapsulated mini tablet systems or multi-unit pellet systems (MUPS) can control the release of the active ingredient(s). On the one hand, this can increase the bioavailability of the active ingredient, but it also enables the combination of different active ingredients to improve the therapeutic effect of different molecules.

As well, Aenova is working with a dry powder inhaler (DPI) platform for micro-dosed capsule filling, which contain tiny amounts of the active ingredient down to the microgram. This enables, for example, improved therapy of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Differentiated technologies for better bioavailability

Innovative active ingredients show a strong trend towards poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Aenova offers technologies to overcome these obstacles.

One example is the so-called Hot Melt Extrusion (HME), with which improved bioavailability can be efficiently achieved, since active ingredients are present as an amorphous solid dispersion. Hot melt extrusion offers a wide variety of options for further processing of the extrudate for solid dosage forms.

In addition, Aenova offers co-precipitation, particle sizing and lipid-based soft capsule formulations as successful technological strategies to increase bioavailability.

These innovations also include projects in the field of highly potent drugs, particularly in oncology, in order to offer patients a simplified and less burdensome form of therapy. With the Aenova Closed Containment System, the company has developed a holistic production concept for the safe and efficient manufacturing of highly potent active ingredients up to OEB 5 - active ingredients that are also increasingly being used in innovative medicines.

High level of innovation

Not every CDMO can offer innovative technologies, but it is crucial for contract manufacturers and developers to signal to their pharma customers that new products are also feasible with a strong and innovative CDMO partner. "If you want to be part of the strategic and advanced manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, a CDMO needs not only modern production facilities with suitable capacities, but above all strong development and technology transfer services," explains Jan Kengelbach, CEO of Aenova Group. "If a customer has a more complicated request, we have built up the appropriate level of scientific expertise and state-of-the-art process technology so that the customer knows immediately that they have found a reliable partner," Kengelbach further explains.

From the development of new drug products to commercial production

Larger pharmaceutical companies have their own development teams, but may still need a manufacturing and development partner to bring their product to market. Young companies or start-ups often pursue an "asset-light" model without in-house manufacturing capabilities and rely on a fully integrated development service from their CDMO partner. Here Aenova can provide support from development through clinical phases to commercial manufacturing.

Smart partnering models for fast time-to-market of new drug products

With its innovation strategy, the Aenova Group also addresses at smart partnership models with customers, because the technologies and the innovation-oriented mindset make it possible to invest in new projects together with customers and to bring innovative products to market.

With a highly flexible range of GMP services (batch size, technologies and broad know-how along the product life cycle), Aenova positions itself as the ideal partner to bring innovative products from research into clinical trials ('first-in-man' to Phase III) and to manage all phases up to the worldwide product launch as CDMO. This partnership approach then quickly leads to the establishment of new platforms and means faster time-to-market for innovative medicines with the experienced CDMO partner at their side.