A British startup is preparing to revolutionize cancer treatment delivery by manufacturing pharmaceutical compounds in orbit, potentially reducing the burden on hospital systems and enabling patients to self-administer therapies at home rather than enduring lengthy infusions in clinical settings.
BioOrbit launched Box-E, a microwave-sized unit, aboard a SpaceX flight from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station in May to grow ultra-pure protein crystals for self-injected cancer drugs. The compact manufacturing system will remain in orbit for approximately six weeks, harnessing microgravity to enable pharmaceutical compounds to crystallize into pure, highly stable structures that cannot be achieved on Earth.
The Innovation and Patient Impact
Once returned to Earth, the crystals will be transformed into cancer medications that patients can refrigerate and inject themselves at home or workplace, eliminating the need for hospital visits requiring intravenous infusions over several hours. The drugs will also have extended shelf lives, improving accessibility and convenience for patients managing serious illness.
Dr Katie King, co-founder and chief executive of BioOrbit, explained the scientific basis for the breakthrough. "Gravity negatively impacts crystallisation," she said. "That becomes really critical for protein drugs, antibody drugs because they are very large and very flexible molecules. So through going to space you see a much better, more superior crystallisation process than what you can achieve here on Earth."
For cancer treatments requiring large doses, the liquid formulation becomes too thick for injection pens. "Which is why we don't have these treatments at home already," King noted. "Through using crystals, you can get these really concentrated formulations that will have a low enough viscosity that they can still flow through the needle."
Proven Technology, Regulatory Progress
The concept is not theoretical. Hundreds of experiments aboard the space station have already demonstrated the process works. Scientists from the US pharmaceutical company Merck produced protein crystals for its bestselling cancer medicine Keytruda and converted it into a quick injection instead of a lengthy IV infusion. The US health regulator approved this new delivery route in September, validating the approach.
BioOrbit, founded in 2023 by King and medical doctor and cancer researcher Leonor Teles, is in its third year of operation. The company raised £9.8 million from investors last month, led by UK venture capital group LocalGlobe and Paris-based VC firm Breega, to advance its technology and build manufacturing hardware. The UK's Space Agency awarded BioOrbit a £250,000 contract in March to manufacture drugs in microgravity, demonstrating government support for the initiative.
Scale and Economic Implications
Assuming orbital tests succeed, multiple Box-E units could be stacked to increase pharmaceutical manufacturing pace. BioOrbit aims to process thousands of litres of fluid per box annually and is confident that a handful of boxes in constant use could produce enough for a blockbuster drug.
Despite the substantial expense of sending drugs into space, King argued the shift to home-based self-injection could save the NHS and other health systems "millions, potentially billions" of pounds by reducing hospital infrastructure demands and treatment administration costs.
King emphasized the transformative potential: "Box-E is the first step moving towards mass manufacture in a way that will transform cancer treatment, reduce hospital visits and support patients in receiving therapies at home."
The technology extends beyond cancer treatment. Approximately 70% of the world's biggest-selling drugs are currently administered intravenously at hospitals or doctor's offices, meaning the crystallization process could address treatment delivery for numerous conditions.
Partnership and Timeline
BioOrbit will partner with pharmaceutical companies to manufacture its cancer drugs, and has already attracted interest from several multinational groups in the UK and US. However, King cautioned that it will take at least five years until the new cancer drug formulations reach the market, as they must undergo clinical trials and obtain health regulator approval.
The company joins other innovators in space-based pharmaceutical manufacturing. Californian startup Varda Space Industries has also flown small capsules into space to process pharmaceuticals and is working with US biotech United Therapeutics Corporation to develop improved treatments for rare lung disease.
Why This Matters:
This development addresses a structural challenge in modern healthcare: the concentration of advanced cancer treatment in hospital settings, which creates barriers for patients managing serious illness while maintaining employment and family responsibilities. By enabling home-based drug administration, the technology could reduce the social and economic costs borne by patients and their families. The potential NHS savings—described as millions to billions of pounds—represent resources that could be redirected to other healthcare needs or used to expand treatment access. The initiative also demonstrates how public investment in space infrastructure and regulatory approval processes can enable private innovation to serve public health goals. The involvement of UK institutions, including the Space Agency funding and venture capital investment, reflects how center-left economies can strategically support emerging sectors that address social needs while creating economic value.