Israeli Company Launches Remote-Controlled Lab for Drug Development in Microgravity

Israel’s SpacePharma launched a remote-controlled lab into space on Wednesday to conduct medical experiments in a microgravity environment, according to a statement by the Israel Space Agency (ISA). The lab was sent aboard a US space supply rocket launched from Virginia, as part of NASA’s resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The experiments include the preclinical development of cancer and brain drugs. With low gravity, more in-depth study in pharmacological applications will be possible. The lab’s experiments aim to identify molecules that may prevent the fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob brain degeneration disease and test a new Israeli version of the drug Doxil for ovarian cancer treatment. The microgravity conditions allow for a slow crystallization process that can be monitored.

The ISA expressed hope that the success of these tests could contribute to the development of drugs for other degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The experiments may also open possibilities for producing specific drugs in space.