Varda Space Industries Secures $187 Million to Advance Space-Based Drug Manufacturing
Varda Space Industries has successfully raised $187 million in a new funding round. This round was led by venture capital firms Natural Capital and Shrug Capital. Other key investors include Lux Capital, Peter Thiel, Founders Fund, and Khosla Ventures. This latest funding boosts Varda’s total raised capital to $329 million.
Focus on Microgravity-Enabled Drug Production
The fresh investment will help Varda accelerate its robotic drug manufacturing technology in space. According to CEO Will Bruey, the company plans to increase the frequency of its space missions and expand its pharmaceutical lab. This lab is set to deliver the world’s first drug formulations developed in microgravity.
In space, materials like active pharmaceutical ingredients crystallise differently due to the absence of gravity. This unique environment allows Varda to create drug formulations that are impossible to achieve on Earth.
Varda’s current space vehicles are designed not only for experimentation but also for mass production. They can transport up to 50 kilograms of active pharmaceutical ingredients back to Earth per mission. For certain drugs, this quantity represents a full quarterly production batch.
New Facilities and Ongoing Missions
Varda has expanded its operations with a new office in Huntsville, Alaska, and a laboratory in El Segundo, California. At these sites, the company focuses on crystallising biologic drugs into structured solids for research and formulation improvement.
Since the launch of its first space capsule, W-1, in 2023, Varda has completed three successful missions. A fourth capsule is currently in orbit, and a fifth mission is planned before the end of the year.
During its debut W-1 mission, the company grew crystals of ritonavir, an anti-HIV drug, while in Low Earth Orbit. These crystals were recovered successfully on Earth without any degradation.
with inputs from Reuters
