A UK biotechnology company has successfully completed a landmark mission to the ISS that could pave the way for manufacturing next-generation cancer therapies in space.
BioOrbit is using space infrastructure to produce protein crystals that could enable cancer treatments to be delivered by an at-home injection, instead of intravenously in hospital.
Harnessing microgravity to rethink medicine
In May this year, BioOrbit launched ‘Baby BOX-E’ to the ISS aboard a SpaceX mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The mission tested how microgravity could be used to manufacture highly concentrated protein crystals that are difficult to produce on Earth.
During this first mission, BioOrbit produced the largest-scale production of protein crystals in a space environment to date, bringing the company one step closer to making space-based pharmaceutical manufacturing viable.
Record-breaking £9.8 million funding boost
Inside Baby BOX-E, pharmaceutical compounds crystallise into highly stable structures that could unlock a new generation of injectable therapies, bringing treatments currently impossible to manufacture on Earth closer to reality.
The launch marks a major milestone for the company and comes alongside a record-breaking £9.8 million seed funding round.
This is the largest investment ever secured by a start-up focused on in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing.
From space science to cancer care
BioOrbit has been supported through the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre United Kingdom (ESA BIC UK), part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) DeepTech Catalyst programme.
ESA BIC UK, which has just celebrated its 15th anniversary, is the world’s largest space technology business incubation programme, delivered in partnership with:
- ESA
- UK Space Agency
- University of Leicester
It supports early-stage companies that use space technologies to address challenges on Earth.
Since joining ESA BIC UK in 2023, BioOrbit has developed the specialist systems required to conduct pharmaceutical manufacturing experiments in microgravity.
This resulted in the launch of its first mission to the ISS.
Space crystals for cancer care
Baby BOX-E was in orbit for approximately six weeks, during which the microgravity environment allowed pharmaceutical compounds to crystallise into highly uniform structures.
Theoretically, in these conditions, proteins can form crystal structures that are far more consistent than those achievable on Earth, offering a potential route to more precise and scalable drug formulations.
Once returned to Earth, these crystals could be processed into cancer medicines designed for much simpler use, including self-administration at home or at work, instead of intravenous infusions in hospital.
Treating cancer at home
BioOrbit was founded by scientist Dr Katie King and oncology researcher Dr Leonor Teles.
BioOrbit believes that producing therapies in orbit could result in formulations that are more concentrated, stable and easier to administer.
This could allow certain cancer treatments to be delivered at home, reducing hospital visits and improving quality of life for patients, particularly those in remote communities or with weakened immune systems.
BioOrbit estimates that this approach could reduce drug administration costs by up to 90% while opening new opportunities within the global antibody therapeutics market, valued at approximately £1 trillion.
A new era for cancer medicines
Katie King, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BioOrbit, said:
This mission marks the beginning of a new era in how medicines can be manufactured.
By manufacturing therapies in microgravity, we can unlock formulations that have the potential to make cancer treatment more accessible, more effective and far easier for patients to receive.
Since joining ESA BIC UK, we have been focused on developing the technology needed to test our approach in orbit, and this mission marks a major milestone in that journey.
Our vision is simple: to help move cancer treatment from the hospital ward to the home.
Long term, we aim to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in space within the next decade, enabling patients to access life-changing treatments more conveniently than ever before.
Scaling UK deep tech
As part of the STFC DeepTech Catalyst, the ESA BIC UK supports entrepreneurs, helping them turn space science and technology into:
- innovative new products
- successful businesses
- economic growth for the UK
It gives companies access to world-leading research facilities, technical expertise, funding routes and tailored business support, helping them move faster from early research to commercial success.
A new independent evaluation, marking the programme’s recent 15th anniversary, reveals that, since its launch in 2011, the ESA BIC UK has:
- supported 179 start-ups across every region of the UK
- helped create and sustain over 1,060 jobs
- generated £11 in additional economic benefit for every £1 spent
- helped alumni businesses raise £340 million in private investment
It was recently recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s leading small and medium-sized enterprise innovation hubs, reflecting its role in helping UK deep-tech companies scale globally.
Space driving UK impact
Paul Vernon, Executive Director for Business and Innovation at STFC, said:
BioOrbit represents exactly the kind of bold, potentially world-changing innovation the ESA BIC UK was created to support.
By applying the unique environment of space to one of healthcare’s biggest challenges, the company is opening up exciting new possibilities for how complex cancer medicines could be manufactured and delivered.
If successful, this technology could help enable cancer patients to receive less invasive treatment from their own homes.
BioOrbit is also a great example of the strength of UK deep tech, bringing together world-class science, entrepreneurial ambition and our growing capabilities in space.