Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) announced the appointment of Paul Reichert, former principal investigator at Merck Research Laboratories, and Niki Werkheiser, former director of technology maturation at NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, to advisory roles at Space Microgravity Development LLC (SpaceMD), its subsidiary focused on pharmaceutical development in microgravity.

Reichert will serve as scientific advisor, working to identify drug candidates and support development of an orbital research and manufacturing pipeline. Werkheiser will serve as strategic advisor, focusing on new therapeutic concepts and opportunities to apply SpaceMD technologies on the International Space Station (ISS) and emerging commercial platforms.

Reichert contributed to early formulation and crystallization research of pembrolizumab, the active ingredient in Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat multiple cancers, during his time at Merck and Schering-Plough. Werkheiser brings three decades of space program experience and previously oversaw more than $1.5 billion in technology investments at NASA. She also established NASA's In-Space Manufacturing Initiative.

SpaceMD uses its Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory (PIL-BOX) technology to grow seed crystals aboard the ISS for potential sale or licensing to pharmaceutical companies. Since the first PIL-BOX launch in November 2023, 54 PIL-BOX systems have flown to the ISS, crystallizing 45 unique compounds, including insulin and molecules related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes treatment.

The announcements are based on a press release issued by Redwire Corporation.