Saudi healthcare investor Burjeel Holdings partners with US company Axiom Space for space medical research
In a major milestone for global healthcare and space exploration, Burjeel Holdings, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading healthcare investors, announced a partnership with Axiom Space, a global leader human spaceflight services. The partnership, unveiled at New York’s iconic Times Square, is expected to push the boundaries of medical research and innovation by leveraging the unique environment of space to study how the human body responds in microgravity .
This long-term collaboration with Axiom Space, renowned for its global missions to the International Space Station, will focus on space medical research. In their first initiative, Axiom Space and Burjeel are working to send a suite of medical capabilities into space to advance scientific research into how the human body responds in microgravity. The suite includes best-in-class technologies used in hospitals and clinics around the world, including Burjeel Holdings’ flagship facility, Burjeel Medical City, in the United Arab Emirates. The research aims to study how the microgravity environment affects relevant biomarkers, drug substance quality and remote health services.
Axiom Space astronauts intend to wear and use these technologies remotely throughout their training, launch, and during the Axiom 4 (Ax-4) mission, scheduled to launch next spring . The knowledge gained from this research is expected to pave the way for innovative healthcare solutions that could benefit patients around the world, including those in Saudi Arabia.
“Through our groundbreaking partnership with Axiom Space, we are not only pushing the boundaries of medical innovation in microgravity, but also ensuring that patients around the world benefit from next-generation healthcare solutions. Just as we continue to benefit from innovations born from space missions more than 50 years ago – transforming everything from telecommunications to medical imaging – this partnership represents a commitment to leveraging the unique environment of space to develop and improve treatment methodologies,” said Dr. Shamsheer. Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings.
Dr. Lucie Low, Chief Scientist at Axiom Space, highlighted the importance of the partnership with Burjeel Holdings, highlighting how Axiom Space is creating opportunities for organizations around the world to conduct medical research in space.
“We are reinventing how humans live and work in low Earth orbit by using microgravity to deepen our understanding of the human body. At the same time, we are educating the global community on how to harness the microgravity environment to achieve scientific and technological advancements that benefit humanity,” said Dr. Low.
Since its expansion plans for 2022, Burjeel Holdings has progressed rapidly in Saudi Arabia, successfully launching PhysioTherabia, a network of physiotherapy, wellness and rehabilitation centers, with plans to open 60 health centers. by 2025. Additionally, Burjeel is set to launch two specialized outpatient surgery centers. in Riyadh, reinforcing its commitment to raising healthcare standards in the Kingdom.