CDMO Axplora bets €50M on ADC and GLP-1 growthCDMO Axplora bets €50M on ADC and GLP-1 growth

With over €50 million ($52 million) investment, contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Axplora is bolstering its facility in Mourenx, France, about 800 km south of Paris. 

The facility will manufacture glucagon peptide (GLP-1) therapies and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for an undisclosed client and is expected to be operational by 2026. The upgrades at Mourenx prioritize high-purity peptide production and scalability. 

“GLP-1 therapies represent a paradigm shift in medicine, offering targeted therapies for complex diseases with unprecedented efficacy and tolerability,” said Arul Ramadurai, chief commercial officer at Axplora. “This initiative, built on strong customer partnerships, reinforces Axplora’s role as a trusted partner in manufacturing life-changing, breakthrough medicines.”

“The investment in the Mourenx site is primarily focused on GLP-1 manufacturing, but it reflects our broader commitment to complex molecule production, including ADCs,” a spokesperson for Axplora told BioProcess Insider.

“While the primary aim is to enhance our Biologics License Application (BLA) and peptide production capabilities, this investment strengthens Axplora’s overall infrastructure and reputation for handling high-complexity drug manufacturing.” 

The German CDMO recognizes that the increasing demand for ADCs requires scalability, for which the company has “employed strategic planning, localized sourcing strategies, and advanced manufacturing technologies to scale production while upholding the highest standards of quality and efficiency.” 

“Sustainability is at the core of our operations. At Mourenx, we’ve implemented measures like reducing solvent use and optimizing energy efficiency to minimize our environmental footprint. These initiatives extend to all aspects of drug manufacturing across our network, including in ADCs,” the spokesperson added. 

Recently, ADCs saw a surge driven by major licensing deals, strategic investments, and technological advancements. Pharma giants have expanded their ADC pipelines through billion-dollar collaborations, while Pfizer’s $43 billion bid for Seagen underscored ADCs' growing importance in 2023.  

Contract manufacturers such as Samsung Biologics, WuXi Biologics, and Lonza have recently ramped up capabilities to meet rising demand. This boom was fueled by advancements in conjugation technology, improved linker and payload options, and a broader range of validated targets, making ADCs more precise, manufacturable, and commercially viable than ever before.