BioMed X, a pharmaceutical innovation hub, is partnering with the government of Barbados on research for AI-enabled therapy. Specifically, early diabetic kidney disease is this project’s focus. Within the Barbadian population, its biological heterogeneity is underexplored.

A Need for AI Diabetes Therapy

The molecular mechanisms driving disease in Barbadians with type 2 diabetes require understanding. What the project chiefly plans to construct is even more ambitious: a population-specific, digital African twin.

Any of the submitted research proposals should contain three key components. These are: focused molecular modeling, development of the AI-driven digital twin, and identification of novel biomarkers.

The European Union’s PharmaNext Programme supports the project.

“[EU] is committed to supporting innovative research partnerships that address global health challenges,” said Fiona Ramsey, EU Ambassador to Barbados. She said it “exemplifies how European support, local leadership, and international scientific excellence can come together to deliver impactful, inclusive innovation.”

BioMed X Explores New Research

Leisel Juman, CEO of BioMed X Barbados, explained how this adapts the company’s established collaboration model for direct public-private partnerships.

“We are applying our global talent-sourcing and incubation model to a real-world public health challenge in an underrepresented population,” Juman said. “This initiative creates a structured pathway from fundamental discovery to real-world impact—while equipping Barbados with the capabilities to contribute.”

In a press release, BioMed X said “original ideas reaching far beyond the current state of the art are particularly encouraged.”

Another collaborative research project was announced by BioMed X in November 2025, this one with AbbVie. The project, in the field of neuroscience, focuses on anhedonia—or rather, a diminished ability to experience pleasure. Scientists struggle with this challenging and poorly treated symptom of depression.

While somewhat new itself, submissions for project proposals in this effort have already come due. According to information provided at the time, that deadline was Jan. 18, 2026.