As we mark Lyme Illness Consciousness Month this Might, HHS is proud to have a good time the 10 groups collaborating in Segment 2 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize. Without equal objective of HHS and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Basis’s LymeX Innovation Accelerator (LymeX) festival is to nurture the improvement of diagnostics towards Meals and Drug Management overview.
The present two-tier antibody checking out gadget—at first evolved in 1994 for illness surveillance, now not as a stand-alone diagnostic check—depends on the presence of antibodies and will simplest be used as it should be 4 to 6 weeks after the affected person turns into inflamed.
Accelerating innovation thru money prizes and professional sources
Via September 2023, ten groups are collaborating within the Segment 2 digital accelerator, which provides get entry to to digital finding out, mentorship, biorepository material experience, and networking alternatives. With prior paintings in spaces starting from sepsis to genetic sequencing and glycomics, the accelerator cohort is making use of a extensive vary of experience to their proposed next-generation diagnostics.
By means of the use of a prize festival type, the LymeX Diagnostics Prize provides money prizes along a variety of non-monetary sources. The contest is designed to stimulate the marketplace for Lyme illness diagnostics through serving to entrants triumph over diagnostic construction obstacles with prize budget and technical help—whilst additionally fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Making improvements to checking out accessibility is essential to making improvements to affected person results, and groups are already starting to believe the problem with the assistance of medical research and tool design sources. Over the summer time, the cohort will take part in roundtable discussions with sufferers and clinicians as they refine their ideas.
The LymeX Diagnostics Prize is surroundings a brand new bar for innovation in illness diagnostics. If assessments are effectively validated, the cohort’s paintings may assist toughen Lyme illness remedy total—in addition to assessments for different infectious sicknesses.
Having a look forward: Knowledgeable judging panel to convene in October 2023
Following the accelerator, the cohort will put up idea papers that element answer refinement, medical and affected person enter, and a roadmap from lab to marketplace.
The contest judging panel—composed of professionals throughout biology, medical and generation translation, affected person enjoy and advocacy, diagnostic science and generation, exponential innovation, and ethics—will evaluation eligible submissions in keeping with legit Segment 2 analysis standards. In line with the judges’ reviews, they are going to suggest as much as 5 Segment 2 winners of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize.
The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Basis has made a beneficiant $10 million pledge to the LymeX Diagnostics Prize. HHS and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Basis awarded $1 million in Segment 1 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize, with $9 million in more LymeX prizes projected to be to be had in long term stages, together with Segment 2. A choice of accelerator sources might be made to be had to the general public at the festival website online to beef up broader innovation in Lyme illness diagnostics and remedy.
To obtain all Segment 2 updates, subscribe to the LymeX Diagnostics Prize publication and apply @Lyme_X on Twitter.
