Redwire’s in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing system, PIL-BOX, is opening the door to a new frontier for pharmaceutical drug research and improved human health on Earth. Redwire is launching its fourth set of PIL-BOX experiments on the upcoming NG-21 mission. This latest investigation builds on previous investigations that launched earlier this year with partners Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) and Butler University.
This latest investigation will include four drug manufacturing experiments in PIL-BOX system, marking the third spaceflight mission for PIL-BOX in the last 10 months. Redwire is using these frequent flight missions to optimize the system’s performance and continue to demonstrate repeatability.
The PIL-04 investigation crystallizes two reference molecules to verify improvements to the hardware and operations for the PIL-BOX DM used in previous missions. The PIL-BOX DM system leverages an integrated microscope for in-situ analysis of crystal growth. Improved hardware performance will support commercial production of pharmaceutical compounds. The results may produce new crystal forms with enhanced purity, stability, and uniformity that can formulate improved therapeutics for patients on Earth.
Earlier this week, the Redwire PIL Team completed the final inspections, loaded the samples, and successfully turned over the PIL-BOX hardware for launch.
Why PIL-BOX?
Redwire’s PIL-BOX platform offers pharmaceutical companies and biomedical researchers novel and flexible services to grow small-batch crystals of protein-based pharmaceuticals along with other key pharmaceutically relevant large and small molecules for research in microgravity. Understanding crystal growth can inform the entire drug discovery and development process for small and large molecule pharmaceuticals as companies look to deliver new, optimized treatments to help patients.
Redwire partnered with Lilly on two previous spaceflight missions using PIL-BOX in the past year. For the most recent investigation, PIL-02, Lilly researchers conducted an experiment aimed at accelerating the discovery of novel medicines against chronic diseases. Following the successful results of the PIL-01 experiment, which demonstrated that microgravity benefited insulin crystal growth, Lilly researchers will use the results from PIL-02 to expand their understanding of crystal formulations and how they can impact drug discovery.
Redwire aims to launch more PIL-BOX experiments on upcoming CRS missions to the ISS. Prior PIL-BOX experiments have produced high-quality uniform crystals that could be used in antiviral and antifungal applications.
You can read more about the results of previous PIL-BOX investigations and our work with Lilly here.
Stephen Tuma has been mechanical engineering at Redwire for the past nine years. He is the technical lead and project manager of Redwire’s Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory program. Under this role he has successfully lead the development of the PIL-BOX systems and executed three flight investigations delivering new product and results to pharmaceutical customers.
