WuXi AppTec expands global capacity for peptides, oligonucleotides and TPDs

WuXi AppTec is scaling manufacturing and process technology across regions as demand grows for complex drug modalities including peptides, oligonucleotides, targeted protein degraders and ADCs. The expansion includes new facilities in China and Singapore, with WuXi TIDES expected to post about 40% revenue growth in 2026.

Why it matters: - WuXi AppTec is building capacity before demand peaks, aiming to support next-generation drugs as more programs move toward late-stage development and commercialization. - The expansion targets therapeutic areas where manufacturing and development are more complex, including peptides, oligonucleotides, targeted protein degraders and antibody-drug conjugates. - The strategy could give drug developers more room to scale from discovery through commercial supply across multiple complex modalities.

What happened: - WuXi AppTec said it is expanding global capabilities for peptides, oligonucleotides and targeted protein degraders, with a growing focus on emerging modalities. - Pharma Manufacturing’s recent feature interview with WuXi AppTec highlighted the company’s shift in investment priorities toward oligonucleotides and peptides. - WuXi TIDES, the company’s platform for oligonucleotides and peptides, is expected to deliver about 40% year-over-year revenue growth in 2026. - WuXi AppTec said it has continued to invest in manufacturing scale and process innovation to support that growth.

The details: - At the end of 2025, WuXi AppTec’s total solid-phase peptide synthesis reactor volume exceeded 100,000 liters ahead of schedule. - The company expects total peptide synthesis capacity to reach 130,000 liters by the end of 2026. - WuXi AppTec said total solid-phase oligo synthesis reactor scale exceeded 8 mol. - Two additional TIDES manufacturing plants are under construction at WuXi AppTec’s Taixing site in China. - The Taixing plants will support oligonucleotide, peptide and PMO production and are scheduled to be operational in 2027. - WuXi AppTec said its first TIDES plant in Singapore will be operational in 2028. - For peptides, the company has developed integrated process approaches that combine solid-phase and liquid-phase synthesis to support longer and more complex sequences. - Downstream purification and API isolation processes include tangential flow filtration, continuous flow chromatography and spray drying. - For oligonucleotide manufacturing, WuXi AppTec is using thin film evaporation and continuous flow chromatography to streamline downstream processing. - The company is also using biocatalytic fragment ligation to expand options for building more complex oligonucleotide sequences. - In targeted protein degraders and ADCs, WuXi AppTec pointed to rising technical complexity, including the challenge of translating in vitro performance into cellular and in vivo outcomes. - WuXi AppTec also cited the growing difficulty of managing and interpreting large experimental datasets in TPD and ADC work.

Between the lines: - The investment pattern suggests WuXi AppTec is trying to own the infrastructure layer of a drug-development shift that favors structurally complex molecules. - Earlier integration of chemistry, biology and testing may help shorten development cycles and improve decision-making for customers. - The push into process innovation also signals that manufacturing know-how is becoming as important as discovery science in these modalities.

What’s next: - WuXi AppTec plans to bring the Taixing plants online in 2027 and the Singapore TIDES plant online in 2028. - The company is positioning its manufacturing network and scientific platforms to serve a broader pipeline of complex therapeutic programs as they advance. - The buildout is designed to leave capacity ahead of demand rather than after it materializes.

The bottom line: - WuXi AppTec is betting that the future of drug development will hinge on specialized manufacturing and integrated science for complex modalities, and it is expanding now to meet that shift.