- Axplora is investing $60 million in its Farmabios site in Italy, including a new 4,500 m² R&D and laboratory hub.
- The facility is expected to enhance high-potency API development, reduce technology transfer complexity, and accelerate timelines to commercial production.
Axplora has announced a $60 million investment programme at its Farmabios site in Gropello Cairoli, Italy, including the construction of a new 4,500 m², three-storey R&D and laboratory hub. The facility is designed to expand development and analytical capacity for high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) and is scheduled for completion in February 2027.
The expansion forms part of Axplora’s broader efforts to strengthen its contract manufacturing and CDMO capabilities across its network. The new hub will integrate R&D, quality control, microbiology laboratories, and support areas, directly connected to existing manufacturing operations. The company stated that co-locating these functions is intended to reduce technology transfer complexity and shorten timelines from early development to commercial production.
The Farmabios site currently operates HPAPI manufacturing facilities with five independent lines and 105 m³ of installed capacity, supporting batch sizes ranging from 0.5 to 300 kilograms. Built to an OEB 5 containment strategy, the site is already operational and capable of supporting high-volume, high-potency programmes.
“This investment is about enabling our customers to move more quickly at scale to and through the clinic, helping them bring their products to patients sooner.”
Martin Meeson, Chief Executive Officer of Axplora
Axplora noted that HPAPI molecules account for more than 30% of the global drug development pipeline, with over 1,000 highly potent small molecules in development. The company added that the expansion is intended to support increasing demand for high-potency manufacturing and integrated development services within a single site.
