Axxam

About Axxam

Axxam S.p.A. operates as an innovative Partner Research Organization (iPRO) focused on early-stage drug discovery and research services for the life sciences sector. Founded in 2001 as a spin-off from Bayer Pharmaceutical by Dr. Stefan Lohmer and Dr. Alessandro Sidoli, the company was established with an initial team of 35 specialists in Milan, Italy. In July 2022, Keensight Capital acquired a majority stake in the company to support and accelerate its growth. As of January 2025, co-founder Dr. Stefan Lohmer transitioned from CEO to a role on the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, with Dr. Ciriaco Maraschiello, formerly COO, appointed as the new CEO.

The company's business model is centered on providing integrated discovery services as a contract research organization (CRO). Axxam collaborates with a diverse client base that includes pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, startups, academic groups, and patient foundations. Its services span the entire early drug discovery process, from target identification and validation to hit identification and lead generation. Revenue is generated by providing these specialized research services, which help clients to advance their drug discovery projects. The company has demonstrated strong financial performance, with a double-digit organic revenue growth rate, reaching approximately €30 million in sales in 2021.

Axxam's core service offerings include assay development, high-throughput screening (HTS), compound management, and hit-to-lead programs. The company has developed a comprehensive research platform, DiscoveryMAXX, which offers an integrated, target-to-lead discovery program. Axxam utilizes a variety of advanced technologies, such as its organellar electrophysiology platform, iPSC-derived models, optogenetics, and high-content screening. A notable feature is the AXXSense research platform, which is used to discover bioactive compounds for the food and beverage, flavors and fragrances, pet food, and cosmetics industries. The firm also maintains its own compound collections, including the AXXDIV4.0 library with approximately 325,000 small molecules and the SymeGold library. Headquartered in Bresso, near Milan, Axxam also has medicinal chemistry labs in Torre Annunziata, a subsidiary in Germany, and a U.S. subsidiary in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to serve its North American clients.