Private US aerospace company Varda Space Industries has signed an agreement with pharmaceutical firm United Therapeutics Corp. to explore the use of microgravity in developing drugs for chronic diseases. The deal could validate the value of space technologies for the pharmaceutical industry, said Michael Reilly, Varda Space’s director of strategy.
Varda, backed by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, will send samples of United Therapeutics’ drugs to orbit in small uncrewed capsules, where they will undergo chemical processing in space. Scientists will then study the effects of microgravity on the molecules after the capsules return to Earth – with landing planned for Australia. United Therapeutics specialises in cancer and pulmonary hypertension treatments.
According to Varda, reduced gravity can affect chemical compounds, slowing their assembly and leading to unique structures that are difficult or impossible to replicate on Earth. This could influence drug properties such as shelf life and bioavailability.
The partnership represents one of the first commercial deals for developing molecules in space and bringing them back to Earth, though the missions are still preliminary. While microgravity research on the International Space Station has been conducted for decades, there was previously no mechanism for industrial‑scale production under FDA‑approved conditions, Reilly said. “Now we can bring those molecules back for the benefit of patients,” he added.
Varda’s chief executive Will Bruey added that the company is expanding its orbital drug manufacturing plans beyond its recent success in crystallising the HIV drug ritonavir in space. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg, because this is a very broad technology that impacts many drugs,” Bruey told Bloomberg Television.
Varda Space Industries, founded in 2020, became the first commercial company to conduct manufacturing operations beyond the International Space Station, according to several industry publications. The company has successfully returned capsules from orbit multiple times – landing in Utah and Australia – and recently published a study in the journal Nature demonstrating successful crystallisation of ritonavir Form III in orbit.
In 2025, Varda announced it had raised $187 million in a Series C funding round led by venture capital firms Natural Capital and Shrug Capital. The funds will be used to develop robotic drug manufacturing technologies in space, the company said. The round also included Lux Capital, billionaire Peter Thiel, Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures.
