BioMed X has announced the launch of a pilot initiative with Harvard University under its XBridge framework, aiming to foster structured research collaborations between academic investigators and pharmaceutical industry scientists through sponsored research agreements.

The XBridge pilot is “designed to connect senior biomedical researchers and principal investigators at Harvard with researchers from pharmaceutical companies seeking to explore collaborative research opportunities,” the company said.

The initiative provides “a transparent and structured mechanism for identifying areas of shared scientific interest and enabling dialogue that may lead to formal sponsored research collaborations facilitated by the Harvard Office of Technology Development.”

Under the pilot, BioMed X will match pharmaceutical partners’ research interests with lab capabilities across Harvard using its established XBridge process. Partners will review tailored project proposals and, when appropriate, “engage in one-to-one scientific discussions with faculty members who have specific expertise and interest in the field.”

Projects selected for advancement will move forward through the Harvard Office of Technology Development’s processes for sponsored research agreements.

The pilot is time-limited and intended to test “the effectiveness of structured matchmaking between academic research expertise and industry research needs,” with metrics including alignment of research interests, industry engagement, number of scientific discussions, and execution of sponsored research agreements.

The XBridge pilot reflects a shared commitment by BioMed X and Harvard to “support high-quality biomedical research collaborations while maintaining academic independence, scientific rigor, and institutional governance.” If successful, the two institutions plan to establish a long-term collaboration to “jointly advance biomedical research at the interface between academic research at Harvard and the pharmaceutical industry.”