Insider Brief:
- Redwire Corporation has announced its partnership with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) for the PIL-02 mission.
- This marks the second spaceflight mission utilizing Redwire’s pioneering in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing platform, PIL-BOX.
- The PIL-02 experiment is slated to embark on SpaceX’s 30th cargo resupply services mission (SpX-30) for NASA, bound for the International Space Station.
- Image credit: Redwire Space
Redwire Corporation has announced its partnership with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), marking the second spaceflight mission utilizing Redwire’s pioneering in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing platform, PIL-BOX. This upcoming mission, PIL-02, aims to propel the discovery of groundbreaking medicines targeting chronic diseases.
Following the triumph of the PIL-01 experiment, which showcased the benefits of microgravity on insulin crystal growth, Lilly researchers are set to delve deeper into crystal formulations during the PIL-02 mission. The focus remains on deciphering how these formulations influence drug discovery and development, fostering potential breakthroughs in pharmaceutical science.
“We are thrilled to collaborate once again with Lilly on our second spaceflight mission, aiming to revolutionize protein crystallization and potentially expedite drug discovery,” stated John Vellinger, President of Redwire In-Space Industries. “Expanding on the success of our initial endeavor, the Redwire PIL-BOX platform presents a novel avenue for pharmaceutical researchers to analyze crystal growth and enhance drug development timelines.”
Redwire’s PIL-BOX platform offers pharmaceutical entities and biomedical researchers versatile services for cultivating small-batch crystals of protein-based pharmaceuticals and other significant pharmaceutically relevant molecules. Insight into crystal growth dynamics holds promise for optimizing the drug discovery and development continuum, ultimately paving the way for the delivery of optimized treatments to patients in need.
In parallel, Redwire is set to launch a modified iteration of the PIL-BOX platform, dubbed the PIL-BOX Dynamic Microscopy Cassette. This innovative tool will empower researchers to observe the crystal growth process in real-time within the microgravity environment of space. As part of Redwire’s expansive portfolio of space biotech and microgravity development capabilities, PIL-BOX embodies the company’s commitment to leveraging space’s unique attributes to enhance life on Earth.
The PIL-02 experiment is slated to embark on SpaceX’s 30th cargo resupply services mission (SpX-30) for NASA, bound for the International Space Station.
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