What if the conditions of space could help scientists develop drugs that are difficult to design on Earth? Researchers in South Korea are exploring whether microgravity experiments, combined with quantum computing, could open new avenues for drug discovery and pharmaceutical development.
The effort comes as the pharmaceutical industry increasingly explores computational approaches to accelerate drug development. Bringing a new drug to market typically takes 10 to 15 years and costs billions of dollars, according to industry estimates, while many experimental candidates fail during clinical development. Researchers are investigating whether advances in computing and experiments in space could help overcome some of these challenges.
Space medicine company SpaceLIntec said on Oct. 19 that it had hosted a workshop on space pharmaceuticals and medicine for future healthcare on Oct. 16 at Yonsei University in Seoul, bringing together experts from universities, hospitals and industry to discuss potential applications of the two technologies.
Participants included researchers from Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University, Inha University Hospital and Chungnam National University, alongside specialists from SpaceLIntec and other organisations working in space medicine, pharmaceuticals and quantum computing.
The discussions focused on quantum computing for drug discovery, advances in space medicine and opportunities for collaborative research. Quantum computers could eventually help scientists model complex molecular interactions that are difficult for conventional computers to simulate, although the technology remains at an early stage for practical pharmaceutical applications.
Jeong Jae-ho, head of the Yonsei Institute of Convergence Science and Technology and director of its Quantum Business Group, presented on innovation in drug development driven by quantum technology.
Cho Young-jae, a professor at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and former project manager for South Korea’s ARPA-H-style space medicine programme, discussed new approach methodologies (NAMs), which include alternatives to conventional animal testing and other approaches to evaluating the safety and effectiveness of potential treatments.
Other presentations examined the use of space environments in pharmaceutical research, international space medicine programmes and the infrastructure needed to expand research as commercial space activity grows.
Kim Byung-ho, head of SpaceLIntec’s space medicine business division, outlined overseas space medicine companies and research programmes. Kim Kyu-sung, a professor at Inha University Hospital and president of the Korean Microgravity Society, discussed research and development and governance in the emerging commercial space sector.
Jeon In-soo, a distinguished professor at Seoul National University, examined environmental factors that must be considered in space biology research, while Choi Hak-soo of Chungnam National University presented imaging-based diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for deep-space exploration.
Kim Joo-young of Yonsei University College of Medicine discussed the potential to extend antibody evaluation research into space-based pharmaceutical development.
During a general discussion, participants said that “space and quantum are key fields that will reshape future global technological hegemony and the landscape of the bio and pharmaceutical industries”.
They also said South Korea would need stronger support for interdisciplinary research and broader research networks to turn scientific advances into commercial competitiveness.
Space-based pharmaceutical research has attracted interest because microgravity can alter how biological materials behave, including the growth and structure of protein crystals. Better-ordered crystals can help researchers determine protein structures, potentially providing information useful in designing medicines. However, findings from space experiments must still be validated, and the benefits vary by molecule and research objective.
SpaceLIntec is developing protein crystallisation technologies and pharmaceutical manufacturing platforms for microgravity environments. The company said it placed its space medicine satellite, BEE-1012, aboard the fifth launch of South Korea’s Nuri rocket on Oct. 7 and was operating it in orbit. It also said on Oct. 15 that it had successfully transported its BEE-PC2 space medicine experiment module to a space station.
The company did not provide details in the announcement on the experiments’ results or when the technologies might be commercially deployed.
Yoon Hak-soon, chief executive of SpaceLIntec, said, “We hope this workshop can be a meaningful starting point for sharing achievements in space medicine and quantum computing–based new drug development and exploring possibilities for convergence,” adding, “Through this, we expect it will lead to the development of innovative medical technologies for the future”.
Jeong said, “Space medicine and quantum computing are joining forces to tackle life and disease challenges that could not be solved on Earth,” and added, “We expect this workshop to be a significant starting point for connecting Korea’s advanced science and technology to practical innovations for human health and life through the convergence of these two cutting-edge fields”.
Space-based protein crystallisation has already produced results relevant to pharmaceutical development. NASA reported in January 2026 that research aboard the International Space Station contributed to development of a new injectable formulation of Merck’s cancer medicine pembrolizumab, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September 2025. The formulation can be administered in about one minute, compared with up to two hours for intravenous infusion.
The FDA estimates that studying and testing a new drug before approval takes approximately eight and a half years, underscoring the potential value of technologies that improve early-stage research, although neither microgravity nor quantum computing has been shown to eliminate the broader challenges of drug development.
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Faustine Ngila is the AI Editor at Impact Newswire, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an award-winning journalist specializing in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and emerging technologies.
He previously worked as a global technology reporter at Quartz in New York and Digital Frontier in London, where he covered innovation, startups, and the global digital economy.
With years of experience reporting on cutting-edge technologies, Faustine focuses on AI developments, industry trends, and the impact of technology on society.
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