A California-based startup has just taken its vision of in-orbit manufacturing to the big leagues, signing a major deal with a pharmaceutical company to explore developing new, improved versions of its drugs in space.
Varda Space Industries announced a collaboration with United Therapeutics Corporation to study the use of microgravity in developing improved formulations of medicines for rare pulmonary diseases (progressive lung disorders). The company will fly small-molecule drugs on board its orbital capsules, where they will be allowed to crystallize in the microgravity environment.
“Microgravity gives us a fundamentally different environment to manufacture pharmaceuticals that are otherwise impossible on Earth,” Will Bruey, CEO of Varda Space Industries, said in a statement. “Our collaboration with United Therapeutics strives to pioneer a new era in clinical development by completing the bridge from microgravity science to patient benefit on Earth.”
Made in space
The idea of in-orbit manufacturing has been around for decades but has mostly been explored on board the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists learned that microgravity changes how materials form, removing convection, sedimentation, and other gravity-driven forces that affect the growth of crystals on Earth. The end result: purer crystals with more uniform structures, and possibly entirely new properties for materials.
Beyond the experimental angle, Varda is hoping to bring in-orbit manufacturing into the commercial space. The startup, founded in 2021, launched its first capsule, W-Series 1, in June 2023 on board SpaceX’s Transporter 8 rideshare mission. The company used the capsule to grow ritonavir—a drug used to treat HIV—while it was mounted to Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft in microgravity.
Despite facing initial hurdles in returning its capsule back to Earth, W-1 finally reentered Earth’s atmosphere and landed in the U.S. Air Force’s Utah Test and Training Range on February 21, 2024. Since then, Varda has launched five more missions to orbit to continue experimenting with its in-space pharmaceutical processing.
Space drugs for the win
Varda is considered a pioneer in commercial in-orbit manufacturing, and the recent deal with United Therapeutics takes its vision of selling “made in space” drugs one step further.
“The collaboration between our companies brings United Therapeutics’ expertise in drug development and formulation together with Varda’s ability to develop designs and processes not available under terrestrial conditions,” Adrian Radocea, Varda’s chief science officer, said in a statement. “We’re focused on delivering differentiated formulations and building the foundation of a new generation of manufacturing.”
Pharmaceutical companies often try to improve existing versions of their drugs by reformulating them, chemically modifying them, or crystallizing them in different molecular arrangements to improve stability, absorption, or shelf life. That’s why in-space manufacturing appeals to companies such as United Therapeutics, with the potential to form crystal structures that are hard to attain on Earth.
“United Therapeutics has long focused on developing innovative therapies that improve outcomes for people living with rare pulmonary diseases,” Martine Rothblatt, chief executive officer of United Therapeutics, said in a statement. “The collaboration with Varda will allow us to explore how space-based manufacturing could contribute to significant improvements for rare pulmonary disease treatments.”
