A UK biotech company has completed its first mission to the International Space Station, testing whether space-based manufacturing could make some cancer treatments easier to deliver.
BioOrbit’s pharmaceutical research platform, Baby BOX-E, travelled to the ISS aboard a SpaceX mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in May. It spent around six weeks in orbit, allowing pharmaceutical compounds to crystallise in microgravity.
The company is studying whether these highly uniform protein crystals could lead to more concentrated and stable medicines. The long-term hope is that some treatments currently given through intravenous hospital infusions could instead be delivered by injection at home or work.
From hospital infusions to home treatment
BioOrbit says the approach could reduce hospital visits and improve quality of life, particularly for people in remote communities or those with weakened immune systems. It estimates that drug administration costs could eventually fall by up to 90%, although the technology is still being developed.
The mission follows a record £9.8 million seed funding round, the largest investment secured by a start-up focused on pharmaceutical manufacturing in space. Founded by scientist Dr Katie King and oncology researcher Dr Leonor Teles, BioOrbit joined the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre UK in 2023.
The company aims to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in space within the next decade. Its first mission produced what BioOrbit describes as the largest-scale production of protein crystals in a space environment to date.
Why it matters for Britain
The project shows how UK deep-tech support is helping turn space research into healthcare innovation. If the treatment approach proves viable, it could support a growing British company while making some cancer care more convenient and less reliant on hospital visits.
