Eli Lilly and Company is launching an open innovation challenge to encourage individuals and teams across the U.S. to identify pioneering digital health solutions aimed at transforming inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care. The challenge — called “Transforming IBD Care: Better disease monitoring, management, and care for people with inflammatory bowel disease” — focuses on innovation in IBD monitoring, condition management or care enhancements.
“Lilly is investing in digital solutions that can help empower people with chronic conditions, such as IBD, to better manage their own health. Innovation is happening everywhere, and this challenge is aimed at identifying bold ideas outside our walls and collaborating on ways to potentially deliver new solutions to those who need them most,” Divakar Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., chief digital officer at Lilly, said in a statement. “Approximately 3 million Americans have reported being diagnosed with IBD, and Lilly is committed to tackling the challenge of this disease through science and innovation. We’re looking for digital innovators to join us.”
The innovation challenge is a call for novel solutions that leverage today’s most innovative technologies and systems — mobile apps, sensors and wearables, connected drug delivery devices, real-time monitoring, algorithms, digital games, etc. — to enhance care and improve health and wellbeing for those struggling with IBD.
Eligible individuals, teams, and organizations are encouraged to participate. Submissions will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30, 2019. Judges, consisting of a panel of experts from both within and outside of Lilly, will evaluate all submissions through October and select five finalists by early November. The finalists will be selected based on the idea’s impact, novelty, technical feasibility, and ability to address the long-term needs of people with IBD.
The finalist will be announced in Q4 2019, and will be awarded $50,000 along with the potential opportunity to co-develop the solution with Lilly.