Axellia is an Oslo-based worldwide supplier and developer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, specialising in injectable antibiotics. In 2008, 3i backed the $395m buyout from NYSE-listed Alpharma Inc.

The business currently operates from five production sites – Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Taiwan and China – and also has sales offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, Singapore, Tokyo and Bridgewater (US).

Axellia’s customers are national, multinational and global pharmaceutical companies and the company employs over 600 staff.

Axellia is transforming from a supplier of niche APIs into a broad-based speciality pharmaceutical company through:

-Strengthening the current business;

-Improving margins through forward integration;

-Broadening the product range; and

-Continuing to offshore production to low cost countries to drive cost optimisation.

The business will grow its global share of the fast growing injectable antibiotics market, through expansion into adjacent therapeutic areas. It is also looking to develop or acquire technologically difficult manufacturing processes for high value APIs.

The company’s R&D competencies include the latest biotechnology know-how, from genetic engineering to a broad range of automated purification techniques, in compliance with local environmental laws and regulations.