Official plant opening ceremony (from left): Kathrin Nollenberger (Director Research Development & Innovation, Evonik Health Care); Markus Rudek (Site Manager Darmstadt, Evonik Operations GmbH); Hanno Benz (Lord Mayor of the city of Darmstadt); Harald Schwager (Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Evonik Industries AG); Umut Sönmez (Hessian State Secretary for Economic Affairs); Johann-Caspar Gammelin (Member of the Executive Board, President Nutrition & Care); Thomas Hermann (Head of Production & Technology, Evonik Health Care)
Evonik starts operation of new spray drying facility for pharmaceutical oral excipients
- Investment in new plant meets increasing demand for functional excipients for oral drug delivery
- Full integration into existing Evonik production network improves supply security and delivery times
- Darmstadt as a global hub for oral pharma excipients, driven by 70 years of EUDRAGIT® polymer innovation
Evonik has officially opened a new facility for drying aqueous dispersions of EUDRAGIT® polymers at its site in Darmstadt. The new double-digit million-euro excipient manufacturing facility enables Evonik to meet the increasing demand from pharmaceutical customers for oral drug delivery solutions. By expanding production capacities, Evonik is improving supply security and shortening delivery times for EUDRAGIT® polymers. The new plant also operates using green electricity and steam generated from local waste incineration, saving more than 1,000 tons of CO2 equivalents per year.
Since EUDRAGIT® was first brought to market 70 years ago, Evonik has been building expertise and knowledge in functional excipients, as well as formulation and application services. Evonik’s life sciences division, Nutrition & Care, now uses this know-how to create system solutions, which are multi-component systems that are tailored to unique and specific customer needs.
“Darmstadt has been at the center of oral drug delivery innovation for five generations. That’s why it is with great pride that we begin a new chapter in EUDRAGIT® history here. Our new facility enables our customers to develop oral drugs more efficiently and innovatively, improving the lives of more patients worldwide,” said Harald Schwager, Deputy CEO of Evonik.
Evonik’s Darmstadt site is the European headquarters of Evonik Health Care and a global hub for oral drug delivery system solutions. It also serves as a gateway to the company’s Health Care business in Asia. The new spray drying facility is built according to the pharmaceutical guidelines IPEC-GMP. It is directly connected to the plant that produces aqueous dispersions of EUDRAGIT®. This reduces the amount of transportation and related emissions, while streamlining the supply chain.
EUDRAGIT® polymers are polymethacrylates suitable for use in drug delivery applications. These polymers can be used individually or in combination to match virtually any target release profile including immediate, delayed and sustained release. They are also compatible with all relevant process technologies including hot melt extrusion and spray drying for solubility enhancement.
Evonik’s strong polymer development and production expertise, combined with the global application technology network of experts, has led to a steady increase in demand for polymer excipients over the past few decades.
Evonik Health Care has been a leader in advanced drug delivery for decades, supporting pharmaceutical companies worldwide with comprehensive services for the development of complex oral and parenteral drug products. This includes pharmaceutical excipients, formulation development and the manufacturing of clinical samples, as well as commercial drug products. Furthermore, the business serves as a CDMO for APIs and intermediates and has a strong focus on growth fields such as lipid-based mRNA and gene delivery, and cell culture solutions for biopharma applications.
Company information
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15.3 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.66 billion in 2023. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable, and sustainable solutions for customers. About 32,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.
About Nutrition & Care
The focus of the business of the Nutrition & Care division is on health and quality of life. It develops differentiated solutions for active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical devices, nutrition for humans and animals, personal care, cosmetics, and household cleaning. In these resilient end markets, the division generated sales of €3.61 billion in 2023 with more than 5,600 employees.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.
