By Ed Simcox, HHS Chief Technology Officer, HHS Office of the Chief Technology Officer
Twitter: @HHSIDEALab
This past October, in partnership with the American Society of Nephrology, my office launched the first KidneyX prize, ‘Redesign Dialysis’. Now, less than 5 months later, the first phase of the prize has come to a close. We received 165 submissions aimed at improving and increasing treatment options for patients with kidney failure.
Speaking recently at the 6th Annual Kidney Patient Summit, Secretary Azar recognized the first KidneyX prize competition and its potential to drive investment in the kidney space.
Thanks to medical and technological innovations over the past decades, organ failure is no longer a certain death sentence. For people with kidney failure, dialysis and transplantation are literal lifesavers. However, dialysis is only a temporary solution, and it looks much the same as it did decades ago. Currently, the 5-year survival rate for patients on dialysis is below 40%. We must spur innovation in treatment for kidney failure, helping the 700,000 Americans who live with the condition.
The large number of submissions we received for this prize confirms broad interest in disrupting the status quo for kidney diseases. In Phase 1 of this first of three prizes, we asked participants to submit a short proposal about how they would redesign dialysis. In particular, we were eager to get solutions or components of solutions that can replicate normal kidney functions and/or improve patient quality of life.
At the core of KidneyX is a patient-centered approach. Improving quality of life demands patient input throughout the process, which is why submissions will be judged on how well patient feedback was incorporated in designing solutions.
Together—through KidneyX—we are igniting innovation for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases. Our hope is that scientists engineers, entrepreneurs, patients, and clinicians will work together to develop novel solutions.
For more information on KidneyX and how you can apply to future prize competitions, please visit the KidneyX website.
This article was originally published on HHS Office of the Chief Technology Officer blog and is republished here with permission.
