Varda Space and United Therapeutics launch first private-sector orbital drug trial
The partnership between Varda Space Industries and United Therapeutics Corporation aims to leverage microgravity for improved rare lung disease treatments, signalling a new era of commercial space manufacturing.
Varda Space Industries has entered a commercial collaboration with United Therapeutics Corporation to investigate the use of microgravity for developing improved treatments for rare lung disease. The agreement marks the first instance of a large, publicly traded pharmaceutical company using its own balance sheet capital, rather than relying on NASA subsidies, to fund the production of pharmaceuticals in orbit.
Under the terms of the partnership, Varda will utilise its autonomous bioreactor capsules to process therapeutic compounds. The objective is to leverage microgravity to create more uniform crystalline structures, which are intended to enhance drug stability, delivery mechanisms, and shelf life. This approach treats the absence of gravity as a variable akin to temperature or pressure, allowing manufacturers to refine product efficacy.
Delian Asparouhov, president and co-founder of Varda, described the agreement as a convergence of several key trend lines. He noted that increased capital for space startups, combined with the reduced cost of access to space via reusable rockets, has created a viable commercial environment. Asparouhov stated that this is the first time a major publicly traded company has used its own funds to build and produce a product in microgravity, signalling what he termed a "really good historical moment for the space industry."
The collaboration will involve extensive ground-based screening tests at Varda’s new 10,000 square-foot pharmaceutical lab in El Segundo, California, before advancing promising applications to space. Varda currently has its W-6 spacecraft in orbit and is preparing three additional vehicles for launch this year, with a plan to increase launch cadence to seven next year. The company employs approximately 200 people and has raised $330 million to date.
This initiative builds on historical precedents where NASA facilitated microgravity drug research, including the 2019 growth of a more uniform crystalline form of the cancer drug Keytruda on the International Space Station. However, previous efforts often involved long lead times due to the reliance on NASA-subsidised transport and astronaut time. Varda’s long-term goal is to transition from a space infrastructure provider to a pharmaceutical company that operates in space and brings valuable materials back to Earth.
