SpaceMD Launched by Redwire
Will Commercialize Pharmaceutical Development in Space
A new entity focused on growing seed crystals in orbit that will be used on Earth to create new and reformulated pharmaceuticals has been established by Redwire. SpaceMD will take advantage of the unique microgravity environment in space through the use of Redwire’s innovative and flight-proven Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory (PIL-BOX) technology to grow the seed crystals.
“This new entity represents the evolution of our PIL-BOXstrategy, moving from experimentation to full commercialization with significant upstream revenue potential.”
Peter Cannito, Redwire
More than two dozen PIL-BOX systems have already flown in space and have successfully crystalized 17 compounds on the ISS, including insulin and other critical molecules. SpaceMD will sell or license these seed crystals to companies that can use them to create reformulated versions of existing drugs or entirely new therapeutics.
As part of this launch, SpaceMD announced a trailblazing licensing agreement with ExesaLibero Pharma, Inc., an innovative pharmaceutical company developing new small molecule drugs to treat bone disease. Under the terms of the agreement, ExesaLibero Pharma will work with SpaceMD to advance and enhance its groundbreaking small-molecule drug ELP-004 and other relevant compounds via the PIL-BOX system. This drug could hold the key to controlling the insidious bone erosion that numerous debilitating diseases cause, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple myeloma, diabetes, periodontal disease, and tuberculosis.
The results of these microgravity investigations will inform ExesaLibero Pharma’s Investigative New Drug (IND) application to the Food and Drug Agency (FDA). Following the approval of the IND by the FDA, ExesaLibero Pharma expects to initiate clinical trials that will lead to full approval of the drug for clinical use. Through this first-of-its-kind agreement, SpaceMD will receive royalties from any commercial sales of resulting pharmaceutical products.
“Redwire is excited to announce the formation of SpaceMD. This new entity represents the evolution of our PIL-BOXstrategy, moving from experimentation to full commercialization with significant upstream revenue potential,” said Peter Cannito, Chairman and CEO of Redwire. “This agreement with ExesaLibero Pharma signals a revolutionary paradigm shift for commercial utilization of microgravity. Redwire and now SpaceMD are translating the benefits of microgravity research into product value for pharmaceutical companies with the goal of transforming the future of therapeutics and creating value for our stakeholders.”
“We have seen firsthand how the microgravity environment can be a game-changer for drug development, and we look forward to expanding our work with SpaceMD through this exciting collaboration,” said John Barnett, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer at ExesaLibero. “This collaboration will help us continue to advance our drug development and discovery process and lead to better outcomes for patients and future astronauts.”