Axplora expands high potency API capacity with $60M Italy investment

The new R&D hub is designed to streamline scale-up and simplify technology transfer for high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients.

March 18, 2026

2 min read

Aerial view of Axplora Farmabios site in Gropello Cairoli, Italy

Axplora announced a $60 million investment to expand highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredient (HPAPI) development and manufacturing at its Farmabios site in Gropello Cairoli, Italy, including the construction of a new 4,500-square-meter research and development (R&D) and laboratory hub.

According to the company, the three-story facility will integrate R&D, quality control, microbiology, and support functions alongside existing manufacturing operations to improve development timelines and reduce technology transfer complexity. The expansion builds on the site’s current capabilities, which include five manufacturing lines and 105 cubic meters of installed capacity under OEB 5 containment.

Axplora said co-locating development and production is intended to eliminate multi-site delays and improve scale-up efficiency for HPAPI programs. The company noted that highly potent molecules now account for more than 30% of the global drug pipeline, with over 1,000 in development.

Construction at the Farmabios site is underway, with completion targeted for February 2027. Axplora said existing HPAPI manufacturing capacity at the site is already operational, with initial projects in progress.

The investment also follows recent expansion at the company’s Le Mans, France site, where Axplora is adding lyophilization capacity to support antibody-drug conjugate manufacturing, with commercial freeze-drying capabilities expected by early 2027.

This piece was created with the help of generative AI tools and edited by our content team for clarity and accuracy.