BioMed X has teamed up with the Government of Barbados to optimise the treatment of African patients with cardiometabolic diseases.
The two year pilot project, which has been funded by the European Commission's PharmaNext programme, will characterise this underrepresented demographic's DNA and proteome to ensure that treatments can be optimised for this population.
Together, the companies hope to address the burden that cardiometabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension place on the black community, as clinical research in this field is often balanced toward caucasians.
The BioMed X Barbados project will utilise artificial intelligence (AI) and molecular characterisation techniques including DNA sequencing, proteomic analysis and flow cytometry to provide insights into how best currently available cardiometabolic treatment regimens can be optimised for this population.
On top of the funding already received from the Barbadian government and the European Commission, BioMed X hopes to gain additional investment from global pharmaceutical companies and health foundations.
“This partnership with the Government of Barbados represents a significant step towards addressing historical inequities in biomedical research and development of new therapies,” said Dr Christian Tidona, Managing Director of the BioMed X Institute.
“Leveraging state-of-the-art molecular techniques and AI enables us to make an impact on the lives of millions of people of African descent, ensuring that they receive the best possible treatments.”
The initial contact between the Government of Barbados and BioMed X was facilitated by the bioRN Life Science Cluster during a delegation visit of representatives from Barbados and Guyana to Heidelberg, Germany in 2024.