Giving Every Science a Chance

Editor’s Note: “Every drug can be made and every disease can be treated.” Since 2000, from a single laboratory to a global network spanning Asia, Europe, and North America; from early chemical synthesis services to an integrated platform that connects Research (R), Development (D), and Manufacturing (M); from its very first customer to thousands of partners across more than 30 countries, WuXi AppTec has never stopped moving forward to realize its enduring vision. 

In tribute to the journey, we look back through the eyes of our “dream-makers”: revisiting the stories of partnership that empowered global innovation, and the unique spirit that continues to guide us toward the next chapter.

Glass walls shine in the Bavarian sunlight as the doors open to Crelux’s new home in the Gräfelfing Life Science Center. Inside, machines start to buzz, screens light up, and rows of experiment plates stand neatly like chessboards. The air feels light and full of excitement: a mix of eagerness for the first results, and the creative spark that comes when big ideas finally have room to grow.

For Crelux, the move is more than just a new address. It marks a turning point in the company’s growth, from a specialist in structure-based discovery to an important part of Munich’s expanding biotech community, now fully connected to WuXi AppTec’s global CRDMO network. The goal is both practical and ambitious: smoother teamwork, faster delivery, and a clear path that links local creativity with global impact.

“This new site gives us the space and tools to do what we love most,” says Dr. Thomas Meins, General Manager of WuXi AppTec’s subsidiary Crelux. “We can explore more ideas, support more partners, and give every science a chance.”

From a Local Startup to a Global Partner

When Meins joined Crelux more than 15 years ago, it was a small startup that began on the outskirts of Munich, between local universities and the Max Planck Institute, where Meins earned his doctorate in structural biology from a Nobel laureate’s lab. By then, Crelux had already become well known for its expertise in crystallography, protein biochemistry, and biophysics: these fields reveal how drugs interact with their targets at the atomic level. This strong scientific foundation prepared the company for a larger role.

When WuXi AppTec acquired Crelux in 2016, Meins immediately sensed something different. “It took only six months from our first conversation to the signed agreement,” he recalls. “That was my first real experience of what people mean by WuXi Speed.”

The merger transformed both sides. For WuXi AppTec, it anchored research capabilities in one of Europe’s most vibrant biotech clusters. For Crelux, it opened a direct connection to WuXi AppTec’s global CRDMO platform, linking Research, Development, and Manufacturing under one integrated model.

Two shared visions also came together. WuXi AppTec’s aim to support innovators of every size, from startups and universities to global pharmaceutical companies, helped Crelux expand its reach while keeping its scientific spirit intact. Becoming part of the WuXi AppTec network opened access to a wider range of technologies and a global platform with one common goal: making innovation accessible to everyone.

“We kept the creativity of a startup but gained the reach and resources of a global organization. That combination is powerful.” Meins says.

Enabling the Innovators

At its core, the Munich team helps drug hunters see their molecules in motion: how they bind, shift, and interact at the molecular level. With that knowledge, clients can design better compounds faster.

In the new facility, the spirit is built into the space itself: open laboratories bring together disciplines that once worked separately; structural biologists, biochemists, and medicinal chemists now share not only hallways but also ideas. The result is a smooth, fast-paced research rhythm that encourages both clarity and creativity.

Crelux’s capabilities have grown alongside its space. From DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening to fragment screening, from X-ray crystallography to Cryo-EM, the team now supports the clients to identify promising compounds in a fraction of the usual time. “We can move from target to primary hit in just six to eight weeks,” says Meins. “That’s a game changer, especially for smaller startups where every week matters.”

Yet speed is only one part of the story. What truly sets Crelux apart is its forward-thinking approach: treating each experiment as a step toward the next discovery. “Our scientists don’t just deliver results and stop,” Meins explains. “They ask what comes next, what is needed to move the project forward. That curiosity is how we support our clients, and help ideas grow into medicines.”

This mindset fits perfectly with WuXi AppTec’s “Follow the Molecule” model. Projects that begin in Munich can smoothly go through its discovery stage, and continue its development and manufacturing in WuXi AppTec’s global sites in Europe, Asia, and North America, keeping the same scientific continuity from discovery to delivery.

“That’s how you maintain momentum from the first hit to the first batch,” Meins says. “We’re not handing off a project. We’re guiding each molecule through its journey.”

Part of Munich’s Innovation Community

Crelux’s global connections have not weakened its local roots; they have made them stronger. The company is a key part of Munich’s growing biotech community, a region that attracts over 80% of Germany’s early investment in life sciences. With support from organizations such as Bio^M and innovation centers like the IZB Innovation Center, Munich has become a place where startups, investors, and scientists come together—and Crelux plays both roles, helping and connecting them.

“We see ourselves as part of the ecosystem,” says Meins. “Sometimes we are scientists, sometimes we are facilitators. We host workshops, bring investors and researchers together, and share our thoughts and ideas.”

“It’s not always about doing the science,” Meins adds. “Sometimes it’s about connecting the right people so the science can happen.”

This role is easy to see at public events. Crelux opens its doors for community events, training sessions, and discussions about practical topics such as how to build strong partnerships, and what to prepare for the next stages.

This close collaboration builds trust within the local community. At a recent Munich event, a venture capitalist said, “Connecting with the right partners, investors, and outstanding companies like WuXi AppTec is critical and meaningful.” Across the region, Crelux is seen as both a reliable scientific partner and a driver of innovation.

Growth has not changed the company’s character. “When we joined WuXi AppTec, we had about twenty people,” Meins recalls. “Now we’re around a hundred. But we’ve kept the creativity of a startup, and now we also have the resources of a global company.” That mix of imagination and strong support has become one of Crelux’s biggest strengths.

It also shows why the integration has worked so well. “WuXi AppTec doesn’t just enable clients, it enables its own teams,” he says. “If you have a good idea, the support follows fast, so the partners can see the results sooner.”

A Future Written in Ideas

As evening light spills across the Alps, Meins reflects on the long arc from biochemistry student to site head within a global enterprise. “There are far more scientific ideas than there are resources to test them,” he says. “What WuXi AppTec does is make it possible for more of those ideas to be tried, faster and more effectively.”

He pauses, watching the sunset catch the glass walls of the new lab. “The more ideas we give a chance, the greater the odds that one of them becomes a life-changing medicine.”

That conviction has become both his mission and his measure of success.

“Every science deserves a chance,” Meins says. “And here in Munich, we’re making sure it gets one.”