What Sets AustinPx Apart: A CDMO Differentiated By Their History
By: Dave Miller, CSO, AustinPx
As I’ve been out and about, attending conferences, visiting clients, and catching up with friends across the industry, one thing has become increasingly clear: AustinPx is a different kind of CDMO. The way we think, the way we operate, and the way we show up for our clients doesn’t fit the traditional mold. We don’t see ourselves as a service vendor. We’re a development organization that works alongside drug companies of all sizes to advance their compounds toward the clinic and the market, whether the challenge is speed, complexity, or both.
That distinction, I’ve realized, runs deeper than culture or branding. It’s rooted in who we are and how we got here. So, what exactly sets AustinPx apart? Allow me to explain.
At AustinPx, our evolution to becoming a CDMO was a journey and like all other journeys in life, it shaped who we are today.
Long before we became a CDMO, we were a sponsor pharmaceutical company, focused on 505(b)2 product development. Back then, as DisperSol Technologies, we weren’t just supporting drug development, we were leading it. Our pipeline included novel formulations of drugs, including deferasirox, etravirine, abiraterone, rivaroxaban, and nintedanib. Each was expertly reformulated to improve efficacy, safety, or both. With our own CMC structure, we oversaw analytical, formulation, and manufacturing for our products. But we were also responsible for regulatory and clinical requirements, as well as commercialization landscape.
To support our clinical programs, we engaged dozens of CROs, CDMOs, consultants, and law firms for critical services: preformulation, analytical method development, preclinical services, drug product and drug substance manufacturing, release testing, packaging, logistics, regulatory strategy, clinical operations, patent strategy, and more. We sat on the client side of the table and saw firsthand what made for a great service partner, and what didn’t. We felt every delay, gap in communication, and “one-size-fits-all” solution. Those lessons now power AustinPx’s high-science, high-service CDMO model, where proactive collaboration, flexible tech transfers, and a clinical-minded urgency are baked into every project we execute for our clients.
As our internal programs advanced toward Phase III and were ready for out-licensing, we found ourselves at an inflection point. We had built exceptional quality and manufacturing capabilities, assembled a team of experienced pharma development professionals, and matured a disruptive technology in KinetiSol. But we also saw a growing demand from external partners to access our expertise and technology.
For years, we had to turn many potential collaborators away. But it became increasingly clear that our resources were too important to keep to ourselves. More patients could benefit if our assets were applied across a broader range of molecules. The most impactful path forward wasn’t to simply out license our late-stage programs; it was to open our doors and offer our capabilities to the broader industry.
With guidance from industry experts, we made the strategic decision to become a CDMO. But not just any CDMO; one grounded in firsthand experience as a sponsor. Built by pharmaceutical developers for pharmaceutical developers. That pharma legacy would define everything about how AustinPx would operate in this next chapter.
As a former sponsor, we understand the stakes. We know that a partner’s development candidate isn’t just another project, it’s often the heart of their company. We’ve experienced the stress of a tight funding runway, where everyday matters and delays can have major consequences. That experience and understanding fuels our sense of urgency and precision. And it is, guided by transparent planning and an unrelenting focus on execution. We don’t just aim to meet timelines, we live them.
Furthermore, when we were the client, we saw a pattern: impressive pitches that didn’t match the project experience. The team that sold the program wasn’t the team doing the work, and the disconnect showed. At AustinPx, we broke that mold.
We don’t have A teams and D teams. We only have A teams. Our scientists are the same experts who once advanced our own compounds. They’ve walked the same road our clients are on and now apply that same commitment to every partner project.
Also, project management can make or break a partnership. We learned this the hard way when timelines slipped without warning or communication fell short.
At AustinPx, transparency is non-negotiable. Every client receives a detailed Gantt chart, updated frequently, so there are no surprises. Our technical teams join every client update call to ensure unfiltered, accurate progress updates. There’s no black box here, just open access to the people doing the work.
Finally, we know what it’s like to prepare clinical supplies for a pivotal trial. We know the pressure of delivering data that could define the company’s future. And we know how critical it is to have a CDMO that feels that same urgency.
At AustinPx, we don’t just support our clients, we become an extension of them. Their goals become our goals. Their milestones become our mission. That mindset is embedded in our DNA.
Our roots as a sponsor company are what set us apart. Over ten years, we built deep capabilities across preformulation, formulation, analytics, manufacturing, regulatory, as well as preclinical and clinical development, not in theory, but in practice, for our own products.
Today, we deploy that same expertise for our clients. We’ve walked in their shoes. We know the challenges, the pressures, and the dreams that drive them. And that’s why we’re winning over partners, both small innovators and large pharma companies, who see in us a rare combination of unique tools, technical depth, executional rigor, and shared experience.
AustinPx is a CDMO like no other because we were built to be more than just a vendor. We’re your partner, your advocate, and your team because we’ve been exactly where you are.