Axplora, an API small molecule and ADC manufacturer, has launched a payload manufacturing workshop at its Le Mans site in France. This expansion, which is part of the France 2030 program, builds on Axplora’s commercial track record.

Designed for maximum flexibility and efficiency, the new GMP workshop is currently equipped with three Hastelloy reactors, and can accommodate a fourth, offering a production range of 30 to 200 liters. Additionally, a dedicated Hastelloy filter dryer ensures high-level containment and safety, aligning with the highest industry standards for cytotoxic payload manufacturing.

Producing batches up to 1.5 kg, this facility is engineered to support the rapidly growing demand for next-generation payload families that are driving innovation in oncology therapies such as Auristatins and Tecans. These expanded manufacturing capabilities will ensure Axplora can meet increasing customer needs for larger quantities, while guaranteeing secure and scalable supply.

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Comprehensive ADC Solutions Under One Roof

The expansion of Axplora’s Le Mans facility cements its role as a fully integrated partner for ADC development and manufacturing. It features six dedicated ADC workshops, broadly split across two for clinical payload-linker production, two for commercial payloads, and two for bioconjugation. This integrated approach streamlines project management, enabling Axplora to support ADC development at every stage and smoothly scale up production to commercial supply.

The Le Mans site is also home to four purification lines ranging from small to large scale. These lines leverage high-performance chromatography, a gold-standard technology for producing efficient, high-quality cytotoxics. Clients also benefit from Axplora’s payload-linker development laboratories, bioconjugation suites and drug product release testing, enabling seamless transition from early clinical phases to commercial production—all with a single team of experts guiding the process to de-risk supply chains.

This integrated approach enables Axplora to expedite its customers’ ADC program’s timelines, reduce complexity, and ensure the delivery of high-quality ADCs. Clients benefit from expertise, seamless scalability, and the reliability of working with a single, specialized CDMO partner.

“This expansion is a bold step forward in our mission to support clients at every stage of ADC development and manufacturing,” stated Arul Ramadurai, Chief Commercial Officer. “By combining state-of-the-art payload manufacturing with our proven expertise in purification and bioconjugation, we’re enabling pharmaceutical innovators to accelerate drug development and deliver transformative treatments to patients faster.”

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Axplora also recently invested €50 million in its Mourenx site in Southwest France.