Small molecules have been around for decades; are they still central to your strategy?

Absolutely. Small molecules remain central to our strategy. They’re the foundation on which Axplora was built more than 30 years ago, and they continue to be a powerful way to turn scientific ideas into efficient, scalable and cost-effective therapies. Over the decades, small molecules have helped treat millions, likely billions, of patients worldwide and they’ve been a major driver of our growth as a company. Their versatility, reliability and impact mean they will continue to play a core role in how we innovate and support our partners.

How does Axplora define partnership with its customers?

I think that’s one of the most important questions. For us, partnership isn’t a buzzword or a line in a contract; it’s a mindset. We aim to be the CDMO that knows its customers best and that means investing the time and attention to truly understand what success looks like for them, their priorities, their pressures and their long-term goals. By staying close, listening carefully and aligning ourselves with what matters most to them, we’re able to build the kind of trust and collaboration that turns a supplier relationship into a real partnership.

What’s driving Axplora’s €100 million investment programme?

Our €100 million investment programme is driven by one simple principle: we listen to our customers. Their needs shape where we expand, which technologies we add and how we build capacity ahead of demand, not after it.

Across Axplora, we’ve put that into action in each of our business units. At PharmaZell, we’ve invested to significantly improve efficiencies in bulk manufacturing, strengthening our ability to scale reliably. At Farmabios, we’re expanding our already strong position in steroids and hormones, while also adding a state-of-the-art high-potency API suite, including a new SNMP facility. Within Novasep CDMO, we’re investing heavily in small-molecule development and doubling down on fast-growing areas like GLP-1 peptide purification, with over €60 million in capital there alone. We’re also expanding at our Le Mans site, our centre of excellence for ADCs, with major upgrades in linker–payload conjugation and more capacity coming soon.

In short, the investment programme is about staying ahead of our customers’ needs and being ready to support their most critical projects with the right capabilities, at the right time.

What is Axplora’s position in GLP-1 peptides and ADCs?

We’re right at the centre of both markets and they’re a major pillar of our growth strategy. In Mourenx, in southwest France, we’ve invested more than €60 million to build out world-class peptide purification capabilities specifically for GLP-1 programmes. In Le Mans, we’ve invested more than €20 million over the last five to seven years in a completely new workshop designed for larger-scale, long-tail ADC manufacturing. We’re also preparing to add new technologies that will give us a true end-to-end ADC offering at Le Mans. In short, we’re not just entering these markets; we’re already deeply embedded and scaling fast.

How is Axplora addressing localisation and regulatory shifts like the US Biosecure Act?

We’ve doubled down on regional manufacturing. With the Biosecure Act focusing attention on China-based supply chains, we’ve reinforced the strength of our own footprint with seven facilities across Europe and two in India and invested heavily to ensure we can deliver secure, reliable and diversified production. We’ve also strengthened our supply chain operations to help customers mitigate risk and maintain continuity. We’re also staying closely aligned with regulators, so we’re always ahead of upcoming changes rather than responding to them after the fact.

How do you see the pharma market evolving and what trends are most relevant to Axplora?

The market is clearly splitting into two powerful dynamics: the steady dominance of small molecules and the hyper-growth of GLP-1s and ADCs. We see opportunity in both. With more than 30 years of experience in small-molecule manufacturing, we bring customers the resilience, efficiency and speed they need. In fast-growing segments, we have deep expertise, we’ve been active in ADCs for more than 20 years and our Le Mans facility has contributed to nearly half of all approved ADCs on the market today. That track record gives us a unique position as both markets continue to expand.

What does Axplora hope to achieve at CPHI 2025?

That’s a good question, and for us, it really comes down to three things. First, it’s to listen. To listen more than we speak. I’m a big believer in listening twice and speaking once. That means listening to our clients and listening to what’s happening in the market. Second, it’s to learn. We want to use this time to learn from our clients and from the industry experts who are here. Thirdly, it’s to lead. We want to be the CDMO that stays ahead of the curve, the one that brings real value and real solutions to our clients. It all comes back to being the CDMO that understands its clients best and by listening, learning and leading, we can be the partner they’re truly looking for.

What is your focus for the next year?

Our priorities are clear: continue scaling our GLP-1 purification and ADC capabilities, get even closer to our customers and anticipate their needs before they arise. Above all, we want to stay focused on what our clients truly need, whether that’s support in small molecules, GLP-1s or ADCs, and make sure we’re ready with the right capabilities at the right time. We want to strengthen our position as a thought leader that the CDMO customers think of first, no matter which of these areas their projects are in.