Burjeel Holdings Unlocks Potential To Send First Astronaut With Diabetes To Space

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2025) NEW YORK, 26th September, 2025 (WAM) – Burjeel Holdings, in collaboration with Axiom Space, has released the preliminary results of their diabetes research “Suite Ride”, conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).

The research concluded that everyday diabetes tools used by millions on Earth can be used comprehensively to provide end-to-end diabetes monitoring from space to ground and back to space. It opens the door to future astronauts with diabetes and provides new solutions in remote healthcare.

Building on these findings, Burjeel Holdings has announced its ambition to send the first astronaut with diabetes into space at a ceremony celebrating the success of Suite Ride held at the Burjeel Institute for Global Health, New York, in the presence of Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology; Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings; and Tejpaul Bhatia, CEO of Axiom Space.

Burjeel Holdings and Axiom Space teamed up on the research during the Ax-4 mission, where a four-member crew spent 18 days in microgravity conducting experiments.

Sending up a full suite of remote care capabilities, the Suite Ride initiative explored how to manage diabetes in space, marking a meaningful step toward making spaceflight accessible for those with historically disqualifying conditions.

As per the research results, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), a wearable medical device tracking blood sugar levels in real time, and insulin pens can operate reliably in the extreme conditions of space.

Early results suggest that CGM devices can perform with accuracy comparable to Earth-based readings, enabling real-time glucose monitoring of astronauts in microgravity and can communicate readings to the ground.

Speaking during a panel discussion, Sharaf emphasised the importance of creating an inclusive space. “People from different parts of the world might require different kinds of treatments because of their genetic characteristics. Having more people going to space, and technologies like the one just tested in space, helps generate the variety of data needed to better inform science. The impact is huge.”

Dr. Mohammad Fityan, Chief Medical Officer at Burjeel Medical City and Clinical Lead of the Burjeel–Ax-4 Space Health Research, said that Burjeel Holdings initiated this study to pioneer space medicine in line with the UAE’s space ambitions.

"Besides opening the door for astronauts with diabetes, these findings will also transform the way we deliver care here on Earth. From 250 miles above Earth to 25 miles offshore on oil rigs, we are advancing new models of remote care,” he added.

The Suite Ride initiative delivered several historic firsts, including the first continuous glucose monitoring of crew aboard the space station, the first insulin pens ever flown to the station, and the first validation of glucose monitoring across multiple measurement methods on the space station.

The initiative opens space to populations previously excluded and advances real-time medical monitoring for extreme environments on Earth and beyond.