Varda Space and United Therapeutics to Manufacture Lung Disease Drugs in Orbit

Varda Space Industries, a startup focused in-space manufacturing, is partnering with United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company, to produce small molecule drugs for lung disease in microgravity. The collaboration aims to leverage Varda's orbital platform to process medicines and study whether the unique environment of space can yield improved drug formulations. The companies believe that microgravity may enable more precise crystal structures or better bioavailability for treatments targeting pulmonary conditions. This initiative marks a significant step in commercial space-based pharmaceutical production, potentially accelerating drug development and manufacturing. The partnership was announced in 2025, with plans to conduct experiments aboard Varda's spacecraft in low Earth orbit. United Therapeutics will provide the drug compounds and expertise in lung disease therapeutics, while Varda will handle the spaceflight hardware and operations. The goal is to demonstrate that orbital manufacturing can produce superior versions of existing drugs, opening new avenues for treating respiratory illnesses.