Varda Space Industries successfully produced HIV drug ritonavir in Earth orbit, demonstrating potential for off-planet pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Varda Space Industries successfully created an HIV drug, ritonavir, in Earth orbit using its small automated laboratory. The W-1 capsule returned to Earth after 7 months, confirming that space manufacturing has the same control over drug production as Earth. The experiment demonstrated that Varda can manufacture and safely deliver a drug from space, paving the way for future off-planet pharmaceutical production.

March 29, 2024
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