U.K. Drug Manufacturing in Space

Date

March 5, 2026

Category

UK Regulations

Description

In March 2026 the UK Space Agency, the MHRA, the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that they are working collaboratively to provide a supportive regulatory environment to space, biopharma and pharmaceutical companies through collaborative work on guidance, regulatory sandboxes, case studies and supply chain engagement.

The UK is committed to advancing its leadership in space-enabled manufacturing. In-Orbit Manufacturing (IOM) is one subset of the wider In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) market.

The UK Space Agency is providing funding for three in-orbit manufacturing feasibility studies including a £250,000 feasibility study for BioOrbit, a pioneering start-up that is designing a scalable in-orbit manufacturing system to crystallise biologic drugs for cancer treatments.

The unique properties of the microgravity environment enable more precise drug formulation, particularly for biologics and protein-based drugs such as monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, or insulin. Microgravity conditions can improve drug solubility, purity, crystallisation and stability supporting more effective delivery and potentially lowering manufacturing risk and cost.  UK sets out world‑leading pathway for space‑manufactured drugs  - GOV.UK