---
title: "Innovation in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment: eXeno™ technology"
description: Discover Veolia Water Technologies' innovative eXeno™ technology for efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment in the pharmaceutical industry.
image: https://blog.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/hubfs/Copia%20di%20Website%20heather%20banner%20(7).png
---
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# Innovation in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment: eXeno™ technology
by Veolia Water Technologies
29 October 2025
3 minutes read
[ Back](https://blog.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk) Follow
The pharmaceutical industry today faces growing challenges in **complying with wastewater discharge limits**. The variety and complexity of production processes, each with its own chemical and biological characteristics, make identifying the optimal treatment system particularly challenging. Each production cycle generates wastewater with unique characteristics, requiring customised and technologically advanced solutions to ensure **effective purification** that **complies with current regulations**.
Furthermore, companies are increasingly committed to the search for sustainable solutions, demonstrating a concrete commitment to **environmental and social responsibility**, including the production cycle they deal with daily.
To effectively address these challenges, Veolia has developed **eXeno™** technology. This innovative solution uses the [AnoxKaldnes™](https://www.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/products/anoxkaldnes-mbbr)[ MBBR (moving bed biofilm reactor) process](https://www.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/products/anoxkaldnes-mbbr)**,** which involves the growth of active bacteria (biofilm) on a carrier contained within dedicated reactors.
The versatility of eXeno ™ allows for **the removal of complex compounds requiring degradation**, making it the ideal solution for water treatment in the pharmaceutical industry. Its adaptability makes it ideal for strategic industrial applications, such as:
- The **optimisation of systems**, especially for new installations in a space with a small surface area, thanks to its compact configuration.
- The **upgrade of an existing activated sludge system**, to effectively remove APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients), ammonia and nitrogen from wastewater.
- Improving the **efficiency of water treatment,** particularly during the post-treatment phase, to increase the removal of nitrogen and carbon, downstream of biological plants, ensuring compliance with the most stringent discharge limits.
- **Process water recovery,** ensuring the plant's circular economy by reusing treated water within the production cycle.
Thanks to Veolia's extensive experience in water treatment and the pharmaceutical sector, we can offer a comprehensive and customised approach, including: the possibility of an **in-depth assessment** of the entire plant system and water cycle, followed by the use of **laboratory analyses** or **pilot plants** to ensure the implementation of an efficient treatment system suited to the specific characteristics of the production site.
The proven effectiveness of eXeno™ technology is also demonstrated by numerous international success stories. Two emblematic examples are the systems built for a **multinational pharmaceutical company in Sweden** and for **JCS “Grindeks” in Latvia**. In both cases, the eXeno™ process was developed and designed based on laboratory studies conducted directly on our customers' specific wastewater. This approach has allowed us to create a customised solution, perfectly calibrated to the specific characteristics and needs of each customer, ensuring optimal results in terms of purification efficiency and operational sustainability.
eXeno™ technology therefore represents not only an advanced technical solution, but a real tool for improving environmental sustainability, capable of combining operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and ecological responsibility.
If you're interested in finding more about how eXeno™ technology improved the performance of two pharmaceutical companies, read our [white paper](https://campaign.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/en-gb/treating-wastewater-from-pharma-industries-with-mbbr-10aff1f7-c050-435e-872a-5708f3495375).
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## Tags
- [Pharmaceuticals & cosmetics](https://blog.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/?tid=93394872512)
- [Wastewater treatment](https://blog.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/?tid=95324015551)
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