Varda Teams with United Therapeutics to Advance In-Orbit Pharmaceutical Processing

May 14, 2026

A container from Varda’s W-5 in-orbit pharmaceutical processing demonstration at their facility in El Segundo, California, in February. (Image: Varda Space Industries.)

Varda Space Industries has launched a new collaboration with United Therapeutics Corporation to explore the use of microgravity to develop improved formulations of treatments for rare pulmonary diseases in low Earth orbit (LEO).

Through the collaboration, Varda and United Therapeutics will conduct pharmaceutical processing of small-molecule medicines for pulmonary disease aboard Varda's orbital manufacturing and reentry platform during multiple missions to LEO.

The companies will use microgravity's influence on the structure and crystallization properties of therapeutic compounds in pursuit of novel formulations that may improve stability, bioavailability, and other delivery characteristics. The first compounds analyzed aboard Varda spacecraft will likely focus on therapies for patients living with life-threatening pulmonary diseases.

Founded in January 2021 by former SpaceX engineer Will Bruey, Varda describes itself as a private aerospace and life sciences startup seeking to use in-orbit manufacturing to produce pharmaceuticals and other materials in microgravity environments. Its mission is to leverage microgravity to unlock biological, chemical, and physical processes that cannot be observed on Earth.

The Varda team celebrates the launch of their W-6 autonomous hypersonic launch and re-entry space vehicle. (Image: Varda Space Industries)

The startup has rapidly moved from concept to in-orbit demonstrations focused on proving the reusability of autonomous space vehicles that could support in-orbit pharmaceutical processing. This includes the launch of its W-6 vehicle in March , equipped with a suite of advanced payloads designed to expand the technical foundation for autonomous hypersonic flight and next-generation thermal protection systems.

W-6 continues Varda's mission to design, build, and return reentry vehicles that expand commercial activity in low Earth orbit. As Varda increases its mission cadence in 2026 and beyond, the company is scaling vehicle production and flight testing to support a growing range of commercial and government customers.

Why Formulate Medicines in Microgravity?

On Earth, gravity can affect how molecules assemble during manufacturing. Sedimentation and convection currents can disrupt the formation of uniform crystal structures, sometimes limiting the performance of pharmaceutical compounds.

Decades of research on the International Space Station have shown that microgravity allows molecules to assemble more slowly and uniformly, producing highly ordered crystal structures that are difficult or impossible to create on Earth. These differences can have meaningful implications for how medicines behave in the body.

Improved formulations made in microgravity could translate into several potential benefits:

Improved bioavailability, allowing drugs to dissolve and be absorbed more consistently.
Enhanced stability, which can extend shelf life or reduce the need for cold-chain storage.
Improved delivery methods, including inhaled or controlled-release therapies.
Enabling formulations that deliver the drug more efficiently to the intended site of action.

Medicine is one of several areas Varda, other startups, pharmaceutical companies, and NASA have been researching for several years on the International Space Station. Varda believes it can leverage microgravity to develop next-generation pharmaceuticals because of the environmental advantages created by the absence of gravity in space. Microgravity allows for the creation of purer crystals and structures with unique properties. For instance, space-manufactured pharmaceuticals could have enhanced effectiveness because of a more uniform structure.

"Gravity impacts many chemical processes, including how we make medicines. Microgravity suppresses convective currents, buoyancy, and sedimentation, and the resulting crystals are more uniform in size and structure," Varda's website notes. "When processing materials in orbit, the effects are “locked” into the material, before being brought back to Earth to be manufactured at scale to benefit patients."

In January, for example, NASA published an update on its ongoing collaboration with Merck focused on protein crystal growth on the International Space Station. The research has yielded early insights into the structure and size of particles best suited for the development of the company's cancer medicine pembrolizumab for subcutaneous injection.

"Microgravity gives us a fundamentally different environment to manufacture pharmaceuticals that are otherwise impossible on Earth," said Will Bruey, CEO of Varda Space Industries. "Our collaboration with United Therapeutics strives to pioneer a new era in clinical development by completing the bridge from microgravity science to patient benefit on Earth. We're honored to be united in that goal."

As the global space economy grows, space-based manufacturing is emerging as a powerful new tool for industries ranging from materials science to pharmaceuticals. The collaboration between Varda and United Therapeutics highlights how microgravity research could translate into tangible benefits for patients on Earth.

"United Therapeutics has long focused on developing innovative therapies that improve outcomes for people living with rare pulmonary diseases. The collaboration with Varda will allow us to explore how space-based manufacturing could contribute to significant improvements for rare pulmonary disease treatments," said Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of United Therapeutics.

The work will leverage Varda's end-to-end space manufacturing platform, which launches pharmaceutical payloads to orbit, processes materials in microgravity, and returns the finished products safely to Earth using Varda's W-series reentry capsules. By combining Varda's orbital manufacturing capabilities with United Therapeutics' expertise in drug development, the collaboration aims to expand the possibilities for manufacturing drugs in space.

"The collaboration between our companies brings United Therapeutics' expertise in drug development and formulation together with Varda's ability to develop designs and processes not available under terrestrial conditions," said Varda Chief Science Officer Adrian Radocea. "We're focused on delivering differentiated formulations and building the foundation of a new generation of manufacturing."

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