Mentioned:
The future of cancer research is coming to space. And Redwire is behind it.
What’s happening:
- Redwire (NYSE: RDW) has won a new contract from Aspera Biomedicines to conduct cancer research in space
The big idea:
- Redwire’s proprietary drug discovery platform known as the Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory is capable of operating in orbit where there is no gravity and crystals and proteins can grow more slowly and evenly
- The Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory also allows for researchers to conduct multiple experiments at once and validate which conditions lead to the best quality of crystals
- Operating drug discovery research in microgravity also allows cells to grow in 3D, which is much more similar to how cells develop inside of the human body
Why it matters:
- Redwire’s drug discovery technology is widely considered to be one of the most advanced potential breakthroughs for pharmaceutical research in space and has existing support from both NASA and the International Space Station
Going deeper:
- Redwire and Aspera Biomedicines will focus on testing a drug developed by Aspera Biomedicines that uses rebecsinib, which is a small molecule inhibitor that targets the ADAR1 gene that is believed to be responsible for cancel stem cell cloning and immune evasion
The intrigue:
- This is not the first major deal Redwire has done for drug development, previously landing a contract with Bristol-Myers (NYSE: BMY) to study small molecule compounds
