As we mark Lyme Illness Consciousness Month this Would possibly, 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 advance of diagnostics towards Meals and Drug Management assessment.

The present two-tier antibody checking out machine—at first evolved in 1994 for illness surveillance, no longer as a stand-alone diagnostic take a look at—will depend on the presence of antibodies and will most effective be used as it should be 4 to 6 weeks after the affected person turns into inflamed.

Accelerating innovation thru money prizes and skilled assets

Thru September 2023, ten groups are collaborating within the Segment 2 digital accelerator, which provides get right of entry to to digital finding out, mentorship, biorepository subject 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 wide vary of experience to their proposed next-generation diagnostics.

Through the usage of a prize festival style, the LymeX Diagnostics Prize provides money prizes along a variety of non-monetary assets. The contest is designed to stimulate the marketplace for Lyme illness diagnostics through serving to entrants triumph over diagnostic building limitations with prize budget and technical help—whilst additionally fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Bettering checking out accessibility is vital to bettering affected person results, and groups are already starting to believe the problem with the assistance of medical research and software design assets. 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 environment a brand new bar for innovation in illness diagnostics. If exams are effectively validated, the cohort’s paintings may lend a hand give a boost to Lyme illness remedy general—in addition to exams for different infectious illnesses.

Taking a look forward: Knowledgeable judging panel to convene in October 2023

Following the accelerator, the cohort will post idea papers that element resolution refinement, medical and affected person enter, and a roadmap from lab to marketplace.

The contest judging panel—composed of professionals throughout biology, medical and era translation, affected person revel in and advocacy, diagnostic science and era, exponential innovation, and ethics—will evaluation eligible submissions in line with professional Segment 2 analysis standards. According to the judges’ critiques, 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 assets might be made to be had to the general public at the festival site to reinforce broader innovation in Lyme illness diagnostics and remedy.

To obtain all Segment 2 updates, subscribe to the LymeX Diagnostics Prize publication and observe @Lyme_X on Twitter.