Varda Space Industries, a forward-thinking startup based in El Segundo, California, has secured a partnership with United Therapeutics, marking a significant advancement in the realm of in-orbit drug manufacturing. Historically, the potential for creating products in space has primarily been explored through small-scale experiments conducted on the International Space Station and largely funded by government agencies. However, Varda is now presenting a viable option for pharmaceutical companies, claiming it has developed a repeatable method for synthesizing novel molecules under microgravity conditions.
Michael Reilly, Varda’s Chief Strategy Officer, emphasizes that this collaboration represents the first commercial pathway towards manufacturing products in space. The fundamental scientific principle supporting this initiative is that chemical compounds behave differently in a weightless environment. For example, under microgravity, water forms spherical droplets due to surface tension being the dominant force. By launching drug formulations into orbit, Varda aims to allow these compounds to crystallize in ways that could lead to new molecular structures with enhanced stability or other beneficial characteristics. United Therapeutics, led by CEO Martine Rothblatt, is particularly interested in exploring how orbital conditions might yield innovative variations of their existing drugs, potentially expanding treatment options for pulmonary arterial hypertension, a condition affecting Rothblatt’s daughter.
Varda’s venture into space manufacturing is not without its challenges. The startup is betting on the increasing frequency and affordability of rocket launches to create a sustainable business model where raw materials can be transported to space, processed, and returned to Earth. To date, Varda has been utilizing SpaceX’s launch services to send small satellites equipped with experimental capsules into orbit. Notably, Varda’s missions have also attracted interest from military sectors, with half of their launched crafts dedicated to military research, further highlighting the dual-use potential of their technology. As Varda continues to explore the possibilities of drug reformulation in microgravity, the partnership with United Therapeutics may pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in pharmaceuticals that could revolutionize the industry.
Source: A plan to make drugs in orbit is going commercial via MIT Technology Review