[clarle]

Out of curiosity, what's the benefit of pharmaceuticals manufacturing in space?

Is there a benefit to manufacturing drugs in low gravity environments, or is it more of an experiment to see if it's feasible, in a future where more people might be living in space?

[cyberax]

Perfect crystals. Also, the proof-of-concept drug was ritonavir, and it's nearly impossible to consistently grow large crystals of it on Earth. All of the labs that work with ritonavir are contaminated by a more stable form ("polymorph") that rapidly converts any ritonavir crystals into a less-useful form.

[throwup238]

> All of the labs that work with ritonavir are contaminated by a more stable form ("polymorph") that rapidly converts any ritonavir crystals into a less-useful form.

The incredible case of the disappearing polymorphs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearing_polymorphs

It's an actual virulent molecule!

[boffinAudio]

Is it virulence, or surface tension?

[dekhn]

You just need a crystallographer with a beard in the lab (https://improbable.com/2011/02/09/legend-of-chrystallographe... https://www.science.org/content/article/pure-stupid-luck https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/czochralskis-pulley/3...).

More seriously: this was pretty much solved already through improved techniques. I'm generally of the opinion that if you have to send a molecule to space to crystallize it better, you should probably spend your money on other, more terrestrial approaches. I do credit Varda for doing this automatically, rather than on ISS, because launch costs for autonomous vehicles are much more affordable than human space flight.

[cyberax]

It's actually still not solved, you can't grow large ritonavir crystals on Earth.

Ritonavir used as a drug works around the issue. It's produced as dispersed molten droplets inside a matrix of inactive material. Its heated above the melting temperature of ritonavir, so it prevents contamination.

[ender341341]

I believe last I read about it, some drugs are formed as crystals, and being in 0g (or free fall if your pedantic) meant the formed crystals were much bigger or easier to actually form, can't remember which, the specific drug is related to HIV medications