18 TWENTYFOURSEVENBIOPHARMA Issue 1 / March 2026 NEWS Axplora, a global leader in complex active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing, today announced a major milestone in its $60 million investment programme at its Farmabios site in Gropello Cairoli. The latest phase includes construction of a new 4,500 m², three-storey R&D and laboratory hub, designed to accelerate development, expand execution capacity and deliver cost-efficient high-potency manufacturing at scale. The investment builds on recent expansions across the Axplora network, including the multi-millioneuro lyophilization expansion in Le Mans, France, strengthening the Group’s integrated ADC manufacturing platform. Once operational, the new facility will increase development and analytical throughput, reduce technology transfer complexity and compress timelines from early development to commercial production. HPAPI molecules now make up over 30 % of the global drug development pipeline, with over 1,000 highly potent small mole¬cules in development. The new facility will house state-ofthe-art R&D laboratories, Quality Control laboratories, Microbiology laboratories, and integrated support areas, directly connected to existing manufacturing operations. Colocating development, analytics and large-scale HPAPI production within a single specialised site eliminates multi-site delays, improves scaleup efficiency and enhances overall programme economics. Farmabios already operates one of Europe’s largest HPAPI manufacturing workshops, built to an OEB 5 containment strategy. The site has five independent manufacturing lines and 105 m³ of installed capacity, supporting batch sizes from 0.5 – 300 kilograms. This platform is fully operational today, enabling immediate execution of high-volume, high-potency programmes. Martin Meeson, Chief Executive Officer of Axplora, said: “This investment is about enabling our customers to quicker at scale to and through the clinic, to help them bring their products to patients sooner. As pharma pipelines consist of molecules of higher potency and additional complexity, customers are looking to avoid delays through fragmented supply chains. By expanding R&D, analytical and quality capabilities alongside large-scale HPAPI production, we are shortening development cycles and helping them control cost while accelerating time to market.” He added: “Axplora already manufactures 6 of the 14 FDAapproved commercial ADCs, and we continue to see strong momentum across ADC and other high-potency programmes. This expansion ensures we remain ahead of demand and fully aligned with the needs of innovators bringing next-generation therapies to patients.” Mario Di Giacomo, Managing Director of Farmabios, commented: “Our customers are increasingly looking to move quickly without compromising quality. This new R&D hub strengthens our ability to deliver integrated, endto-end programmes within a single site. By reducing complexity and avoiding unnecessary transfers, we improve both timeline predictability and overall programme costs.” Construction is underway, with completion targeted for February 2027. The underlying HPAPI manufacturing capacity supporting this growth is qualified and operational, with first projects under way. Biopharma’s growing emphasis on highly potent drugs drives Axplora manufacturing expansion Esperion Therapeutics inks $255 million deal to acquire Corstasis Therapeutics Esperion Therapeutics, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing cardiometabolic and rare disease therapies, announced plans to acquire Corstasis Therapeutics, a company advancing treatments for heart failure, liver disease, and kidney disease, on March 3rd, 2026. Corstasis’ portfolio includes the recently FDA-approved Enbumsyt (bumetanide nasal spray), a nasal spray diuretic approved by FDA in September 2025 as a treatment for edema associated with congestive heart failure, as well as hepatic and renal disease, including nephrotic syndrome, in adults.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY2OTA4MA==