A space startup is teaming with a pharma company to manufacture lung disease drugs in orbit

The companies plan to process small molecule medicines aboard Varda's orbital platform to study whether microgravity produces improved drug formulations

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Varda Space Industries and United Therapeutics announced a collaboration to conduct pharmaceutical processing of medicines for pulmonary disease aboard Varda's orbital manufacturing platform during multiple missions to low Earth orbit.

The companies plan to study how microgravity affects the structure and crystallization of therapeutic compounds, with the goal of identifying formulations that may improve stability, how drugs are absorbed by the body, and delivery characteristics such as inhaled or controlled-release therapies. The first compounds to be analyzed will focus on........

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