Varda Space to make drugs that are ‘impossible’ to produce on Earth

Varda Space Industries, a California-based space startup, has raised $187 million in its latest funding round—bringing its total funding to $329 million—to develop pharmaceuticals in microgravity conditions that are impossible to produce on Earth. The round was led by Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, with participation from notable investors including Peter Thiel, Lux Capital, and the Founders Fund. Varda aims to leverage the unique environment of space, where active pharmaceutical ingredients crystallize differently due to microgravity, to create novel drug formulations with enhanced stability and efficacy. For example, prior research aboard the International Space Station demonstrated that microgravity can produce more stable versions of cancer drug ingredients like pembrolizumab. Varda Space has conducted three successful launch and return missions, with a fourth currently in orbit and a fifth planned for later in the year. Their orbital laboratories are the first to process materials outside the International Space Station, marking a significant step toward commercial manufacturing in low Earth orbit. The company’s technology allows for