Imagine a research and development laboratory that fits in a shoebox. And a production factory in a regular moving box… Welcome to the world of SpacePharma, which has established its European subsidiary – SpacePharma EU – in Sophia Antipolis by the end of 2022. Not content with developing ultra-miniaturized, robotic, and remotely controllable laboratories and factories, this Swiss-Israeli deeptech employs 25 employees worldwide (Israel, France, United States, Switzerland) with an annual turnover of 4 million euros sending them into space 400 km above our heads.
At that altitude, they are there to conduct experiments in microgravity for companies in life sciences and health sectors. For Paul Kamoun, the director of SpacePharma EU, he is convinced that a revolution will occur in the health sector: “Space is the only domain today that offers truly disruptive innovation opportunities.” This is what he has been demonstrating for four years through the Health from Space conference, which was held on March 24 and 25 in Cannes, bringing together around 250 participants including big pharma companies, startups, New Space companies, investors, and space agencies like the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, and CNES to explore how research and techniques from space can transform life sciences, health, and biomaterials on Earth.
SpacePharma is a pioneer in the Made in Space field, with about a dozen space missions under its belt. One notable mission in 2023 was in collaboration with another company from the French Riviera, Cutiss Innovation, studying skin aging and healing mechanisms in microgravity. As per Paul Kamoun, they operate at a pace of three missions per year but plan to increase it to five this year. These missions vary from studying brain diseases with CHU Grenoble in April to researching biomarkers for oncology with Roche Laboratories in May. They provide unique laboratory services and collaborate with clients on analyzing results.
The benefits of conducting experiments in low orbit include faster pre-clinical trials, lower costs, and unique physical, chemical, and biological behaviors in space due to the absence of gravity. SpacePharma’s key strength lies in its fully robotic and remotely operable space production plant, which is the foundation for the world’s first space monoclonal antibody factory expected by 2028. The production capacity of this facility is promising, as one space mission can produce the equivalent of 1 to 2 kg of active pharmaceutical ingredients, translating into a million doses.
The development of New Space and the introduction of new space shuttles like ESA’s Space Rider hint at substantial growth potential for SpacePharma. Its primary focus is on production, with the possibility of scaling their revenue astronomically. This new era of space exploration led by innovators like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos is changing the global space economy by offering smaller, cheaper, and more agile satellite and launcher solutions.
