On-demand peptide therapeutics for multi-year space exploration: analysis of clinical and operational relevance and recombinant production feasibility
- 1School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- 2David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
- 3Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
Abstract
Future crewed expeditions beyond Earth will span multiple years, requiring a transition away from Earth-dependent pharmaceutical supply chains. Medications degrade more rapidly in space due to radiation exposure and storage constraints, while transporting large quantities of temperature-controlled biologics is logistically impractical. These challenges necessitate the development of self-sufficient, in-situ medical capabilities for deep space missions. This study evaluates the operational and clinical relevance (OCR) and recombinant production feasibility (RPF) of peptide therapeutics for on-demand manufacturing during long-duration spaceflight. Building on established astropharmacy databases and literature, 26 peptide-based medications relevant to spaceflight were identified and ranked using ten predefined OCR and RPF criteria. OCR criteria included regulatory status, shelf stability, storage requirements, NASA Human Research Roadmap risk/impact score, and purification requirements. RPF criteria included amino acid chain length, prior recombinant production, functional assay availability, dosing requirements, and post-translational modification complexity. All criteria were scored from 0-2 points. Teriparatide achieved the highest overall score (17/20), followed by abaloparatide and amylin (16/20). Several therapeutics, including angiotensin II, daptomycin, GLP-1 agonists, G-CSF, GM-CSF, and salmon calcitonin, also demonstrated potential (14/20). This study identifies peptide therapeutics as promising candidates for in-situ production and provides a structured framework to guide future astropharmacy development.
Related
- Decision-support modelling for liver paired exchange integrating clinical thresholds and operational feasibility
- When creativity changes time experiences: Semantic exploration shapes speech production and temporal processing
- Does nicotinamide riboside supplementation increase milk production in postpartum women with infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit? Protocol for the MOONRISE randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot feasibility trial
- Recombinant follicle‐stimulating hormone (rFSH) versus other recombinant or urinary gonadotropins for ovarian stimulation in assisted reproductive technology cycles
- Recombinant Zoster Vaccine Uptake in Patients with Noninfectious Ocular Inflammatory Diseases Receiving Immunosuppression
BibTeX
@article{donovan2026ondemand,
title = {{On-demand peptide therapeutics for multi-year space exploration: analysis of clinical and operational relevance and recombinant production feasibility}},
author = {John J. Donovan and Isaac Ericson and Andrew Wenthe and Katalin Kovacs and Jonas Emsley and Philip M. Williams},
journal = {NPJ Microgravity},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41526-026-00630-z},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00630-z},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - On-demand peptide therapeutics for multi-year space exploration: analysis of clinical and operational relevance and recombinant production feasibility
AU - John J. Donovan
AU - Isaac Ericson
AU - Andrew Wenthe
AU - Katalin Kovacs
AU - Jonas Emsley
AU - Philip M. Williams
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - NPJ Microgravity
DO - 10.1038/s41526-026-00630-z
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00630-z
AB - Future crewed expeditions beyond Earth will span multiple years, requiring a transition away from Earth-dependent pharmaceutical supply chains. Medications degrade more rapidly in space due to radiation exposure and storage constraints, while transporting large quantities of temperature-controlled biologics is logistically impractical. These challenges necessitate the development of self-sufficient, in-situ medical capabilities for deep space missions. This study evaluates the operational and clinical relevance (OCR) and recombinant production feasibility (RPF) of peptide therapeutics for on-demand manufacturing during long-duration spaceflight. Building on established astropharmacy databases and literature, 26 peptide-based medications relevant to spaceflight were identified and ranked using ten predefined OCR and RPF criteria. OCR criteria included regulatory status, shelf stability, storage requirements, NASA Human Research Roadmap risk/impact score, and purification requirements. RPF criteria included amino acid chain length, prior recombinant production, functional assay availability, dosing requirements, and post-translational modification complexity. All criteria were scored from 0-2 points. Teriparatide achieved the highest overall score (17/20), followed by abaloparatide and amylin (16/20). Several therapeutics, including angiotensin II, daptomycin, GLP-1 agonists, G-CSF, GM-CSF, and salmon calcitonin, also demonstrated potential (14/20). This study identifies peptide therapeutics as promising candidates for in-situ production and provides a structured framework to guide future astropharmacy development.
SN - 2373-8065
ER -