"There is the bedrock of research done on board the ISS, increased capital for space startups like Varda, and the rise of reusable rockets that has brought down the cost of access to space and increased the cadence. Varda's spacecraft, with a mass of a few hundred kilograms, typically fly on SpaceX's periodic Transporter missions that launch dozens of space missions at a time."
"Although he declined to discuss the explicit financial details of this agreement, Asparouhov said it will allow his company and United Therapeutics to do a large number of screening tests on the ground, principally in Varda's new 10,000 square-foot pharmaceutical lab in El Segundo, California, and then to take these most promising applications to space."
"Over time, scientists have come to understand that when molecules assemble in microgravity-that is, in Earth orbit-they do so more slowly and consistently. The crystalline structure of molecules is more uniform, rather than a broad variation. This turns out to be quite useful in some pharmaceutical applications, including allowing drugs to dissolve more consistently, retain a longer shelf life or reduce cold storage requirements, and reducing side effects."
"Varda's W-6 spacecraft is presently in orbit, and Asparouhov said three more vehicles are being prepped to launch this year. The plan is to increase that cadence to seven launches next year. The company presently has about 200 employees and has raised $330 million to date."
Several trends have converged, enabling collaboration between Varda and United Therapeutics. Research conducted aboard the ISS, increased funding for space startups, and reusable rockets have reduced the cost of reaching space and increased launch frequency. Varda’s spacecraft, with a mass of a few hundred kilograms, typically flies on SpaceX Transporter missions that launch many payloads at once. The agreement supports extensive ground screening tests, primarily in Varda’s new 10,000 square-foot pharmaceutical lab in El Segundo, California, followed by taking promising applications to space. In microgravity, molecules assemble more slowly and consistently, producing more uniform crystalline structures. This can improve drug dissolution, shelf life, reduce cold storage needs, and lower side effects. Varda’s W-6 spacecraft is already in orbit, with additional vehicles planned and a goal to operate as a pharmaceutical company using space and returning materials to Earth.
#microgravity-pharmaceutical-research #space-launch-cadence #reusable-rockets #drug-screening-and-crystallization #varda-and-united-therapeutics-collaboration
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