NASA Awards Additional Funding for Microgravity Drug Development
Redwire Receives $4 Million, Expanding an Existing Task Order
NASA has awarded an additional $4 million to Redwire to support new drug development investigations on the International Space Station (ISS) using Redwire’s Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory (PIL-BOX) technology. This additional funding expands an existing task order under a $25 million, five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract through NASA’s In Space Production Applications (InSPA) program.
“The space and pharmaceutical industries are coming together in a way that will transform both fields.”
Mike Gold, Redwire
With 43 units flown, PIL-BOX has contributed to the growth of high‑quality crystals that could transform how lifesaving medicines are developed. Redwire recently supported a cancer therapy investigation led by Aspera Biomedicines (Aspera) that launched aboard the SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the ISS. Aspera and Redwire are using PIL‑BOX to advance development of Rebecsinib, an ADAR1 inhibitor. Results from the investigation have the potential to enable new drug formulations that will provide broader cancer treatment options.
“The space and pharmaceutical industries are coming together in a way that will transform both fields,” said Mike Gold, President of Redwire’s Space business segment. “NASA and the InSPA program are playing a critical role by acting as a catalyst for revolutionary new public and private sector capabilities, and we’re proud and grateful that they have selected Redwire to implement this work tackling diseases ranging from cancer to osteoporosis and obesity. By going to space, together with our NASA partners, we can improve life on Earth.”
By supporting partners such as Aspera, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, ExesaLibero Pharma, Purdue University, and Butler University, Redwire is helping drive a new era of biotechnology where microgravity unlocks insights that can improve treatments for some of the world’s most challenging diseases.