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This week, SpeakPharma interviews Martin Meeson, CEO of
Axplora, a leading and
reliable API manufacturing partner to some of the world’s biggest pharma and biotech companies.
Meeson discusses Axplora’s expansion in the antibody-drug-conjugate (ADC)
space and how it is well-placed to serve the exciting market for glucagon-like
peptide 1 (GLP-1) drugs with its industrial footprint and purification
technologies across several sites.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// API manufacturing partner to some of the world’s biggest pharma and biotech companies
As a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, what
inspired you to join Axplora? And, what do you consider the most rewarding
aspect of your role as its CEO?
When you look at
Axplora as the custodian of strong brands like Farmabios, Pharmazell and
Novasep you cannot help but be intrigued by what such breadth of offering and
depth of technical expertise can achieve. Well, I was certainly intrigued!
As a leader in
the pharma space, the opportunity to guide an organization with several decades
of experience is inspiring for me. For example, our site in Leverkusen was
founded over 150 years ago by Alfred Nobel. With every meeting and site visit,
I get increasingly impressed by the capabilities of the people that I meet.
Now, it is my job to make sure that these capabilities are given the best opportunity to serve.
In this sector,
we have the privilege of working with our partners to supply and develop
medicines that have such a positive impact on people’s lives. This for
me is the most rewarding thing that we do. Sometimes the work that we do can
seem a little far away from the patient. I always take time to remind myself,
my staff, and hopefully also your readers of what we are doing and how our work
impacts others.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// strong brands like Farmabios, Pharmazell and Novasep / positive impact on people’s lives
How have recent industry developments influenced
both API manufacturing and CDMO sectors, and what specific strategies has
Axplora implemented to adapt to these changing market dynamics while
maintaining its commitment to quality and innovation?
As a CDMO, when
you partner with us, there is always a focus on reliable supply, and we are
still haunted by the challenges all of us faced during the pandemic. At
Axplora, we have implemented numerous initiatives to increase the robustness of
supply, particularly in looking at advances in sourcing and horizontal
integration both within and across our network. At the same time, we have a
strong focus on the impact that we are having on the planet and Axplora’s work in this area is tremendous — from increasing the amount and efficacy of waste management, notably the current programs around solvent recovery and recycling, to implementing more environment-friendly technologies such as electrochemistry. I am particularly excited by the cutting-edge work on moving to completely new processes that are water-based rather than solvent-based, creating a step change in impact for us and our partners.
In addition, as a
CDMO you have to constantly look at where your services fit within evolving
markets. Axplora’s expansion in
the ADC sector is an excellent example of tracking and investing in emerging
technologies. Of note also is the current demand for GLP-1 medicines, and
Axplora is well-placed to serve this exciting market with our industrial
footprint in small molecules and purification technologies across several sites
in our network.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// increase the robustness of supply / efficient waste management programs and environment-friendly technologies
Can you discuss any recent advancement or breakthrough in API manufacturing or CDMO services at Axplora that have contributed to the company’s success?
Our investment in
ADC expansion is a key strength. Our Novasep business has some of the world’s leading
capabilities in API manufacturing and purification. It is known worldwide for
these capabilities. With increasing demand for GLP-1 drugs and the amazing
impact they are having on patients globally, we are ready to support this
growth across our extensive network. The race to oral dose medicines in this space is particularly exciting, and Axplora
is looking forward to treating the vast patient population in diabetes and
obesity.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// expansion in the ADC sector / treat the vast patient population in diabetes and obesity
Looking ahead, what are some of the trends or
developments you foresee in API manufacturing and CDMO services, and how is
Axplora preparing to stay ahead of the curve in this ever-evolving
pharmaceutical landscape?
Whilst the
landscape is evolving rapidly, regulations are not necessarily able to keep
pace with the development of new molecules. The pandemic revealed that things
can move more quickly. When I look at the challenging new regulation in
adjacent spaces like cell therapy, I wonder how that pace can be applied to our
sectors. To that end, you have to remain agile and responsive to customer
needs. We have to ensure we invest to
grow our capacity in the right areas. Our recent investments in Farmabios in
Gropello Cairoli (Italy) to support our thriving steroids business and in
Pharmazell in Vizag (India) to advance our specialty business are clear
indications of how we can do this very successfully.
It would be
easier if I could point to just one thing that we are doing, but that is not
how we win. The only way to stay ahead
is by making a myriad of large and small adjustments and evolutions and that is
where the Axplora group excels.
Finally, one
element I should mention is that we are part of a global supply chain.
Therefore, our broad network stands ready to supply medicines to multiple
geographies. Our investments reflect our worldwide customer base and ambitions.
We are here to serve our partners and their patients.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// recent investments in Farmabios in Italy and Pharmazell in India / ready to supply medicines to multiple geographies