Varda raises $251 million to expand drug manufacturing in space

US space manufacturing company Varda Space Industries has raised $251 million in Series D financing to expand its orbital pharmaceutical operations, bringing its total funding to $598 million as it works toward producing medicines in space for use on Earth.

The financing, announced September 30, will support more frequent missions and deeper pharmaceutical partnerships. Varda wants processing in orbit to become a routine part of drug development, using microgravity to explore drug formulations that may be difficult or impossible to produce under conditions on Earth.