ISPE Announces Six 2025 FOYA Category Winners

Gold winners award with three stars | Image Credit: © sergign - stock.adobe.com

At the 2025 edition of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) Europe Annual Conference, held in London from May 12–14, ISPE marked the 20th anniversary of its Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) by announcing the 2025 winners in six categories, plus the awarding of two honorable mentions (1).

FOYA was established in 2005, according to a press release from ISPE, to recognize state-of-the-art projects that utilize new and innovative technologies to improve product quality, reduce production costs for high-quality medicines, and showcase advancements in delivery (1). Facility design, construction, and operation are also weighed in the judging process.

The winners

Touchlight, in Hampton, UK, was named the winner in the Innovation category, for its development and manufacturing of novel synthetic DNA in an effort to enable the future of genetic medicines (1). Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (formerly Janssen Pharmaceuticals) won in two categories under the umbrella of Operations, for Operational Excellence for its flexible bottle packaging line in Latina, Italy, and Project Execution for the BioCork 3.2 Expansion Project in Ringaskiddy, Ireland.

CSL Behring was given the nod in the Pharma 4.0 category for its “Project Aurora—Facility F Base Fractionation,” in Broadmeadows, Australia (1). ISPE first coined the term Pharma 4.0 in 2017, to describe a drug manufacturing ecosystem that represents the evolution and revolution of drug discovery, manufacturing, and supply chain logistics, helping to ensure that drugs are delivered precisely when needed, and improving overall patient care (2).

Awards in two categories related to social impact were given to Bayer Healthcare’s United States cell therapy launch and manufacturing facility in Berkeley, Calif., for “Unmet Medical Needs,” and Sanofi’s wastewater treatment and recovery plant in Toronto, for “Sustainability Excellence” (1).

Erbe Elektromedizin, in Rangendingen, Germany, and United Therapeutics, in Christiansburg, Va. in the US, garnered honorable mentions.

One overall winner to be chosen

“The 2025 FOYA category winners exemplify innovation and excellence that continues to elevate the pharmaceutical industry,” Parag Sane, assistant vice-president of Global Capital Projects at Amgen and 2025 FOYA judging chair, said in the press release (1). “Their forward-thinking projects not only advance manufacturing standards and champion sustainability but also reflect a commitment to improving human lives around the world. These winners are setting new benchmarks for what’s possible in delivering both operational excellence and global impact.”

One overall winner will be announced during the 2025 ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo in Charlotte, NC. The 2025 FOYA Banquet and Awards Celebration is to be held on Sunday, Oct. 26, the first night of the show; the annual meeting runs through Oct. 29, 2025 (1).

“Innovation propels our industry forward,” Mike Martin, ISPE president and CEO, said in the press release (1). “ISPE is committed to continuing to champion new ideas that are helping to shape the future of the industry.As the ISPE FOYA program celebrates its 20th anniversary year, we look forward to coming together for the 2025 FOYA Banquet and Awards Celebration to honor this year’s highly accomplished category winners and announce the overall 2025 FOYA winner.”

References

1. ISPE. ISPE Announces 2025 Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) Category Winners, Celebrating FOYA’s 20th Anniversary Year. Press Release. May 12, 2025.
2. Roy, C. Validating Pharma 4.0 for Smart Manufacturing. PharmTech.com, Sept. 19, 2024.