The company announced that its Leverkusen, Germany, facility achieved a Platinum EcoVadis rating, placing it among the top 1% of organisations assessed worldwide.
Meanwhile, its Le Mans site in France received Gold, while facilities in Pompey and Chasse-sur-Rhône were each awarded Silver.
EcoVadis is one of the world's largest providers of business sustainability assessments, evaluating companies across four key areas: environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
As pharmaceutical companies place increasing emphasis on ESG performance and supply chain transparency when selecting manufacturing partners, third-party sustainability ratings are becoming an increasingly important differentiator for CDMOs.
According to Axplora, the results follow a year-long collaboration between its manufacturing sites and global procurement and ESG teams to strengthen governance, improve responsible sourcing and embed sustainability initiatives into day-to-day operations.
One example highlighted by the company was at its Leverkusen site, where process optimisation on a large-scale manufacturing project reduced tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent consumption by up to 70%, preventing approximately 45 tonnes of solvent use and waste each year through redesigned distillation processes.
Martin Meeson, CEO of Axplora, said the ratings demonstrate the company's commitment to providing "responsible, transparent and reliable manufacturing" as customers navigate increasingly complex pharmaceutical supply chains.
These awards recognise far more than sustainability performance. They reflect the way our teams work every day — with curiosity, collaboration and a determination to help our customers overcome complex challenges.
Françoise Durand-Rivoire, Global Head of ESG at Axplora, described the awards as "another milestone rather than a destination", adding that sustainability initiatives such as reducing solvent consumption, strengthening responsible sourcing and improving governance also contribute to operational excellence.
By continuing to share best practices across our network, we will keep creating value for our customers, our employees and the communities in which we operate.
The recognition comes as sustainability continues to rise up the agenda across the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, with drug developers increasingly assessing CDMO partners not only on technical capabilities and regulatory compliance, but also on environmental performance, ethical business practices and supply chain resilience.
