Veloxis Pharmaceuticals and Lyfebulb Announce Winners of the 2022 Innovation Challenge in Organ Transplantation

October 17, 2022

Media Contact:
Caroline Barnhill
Oak & State Communications
919.244.1130 | caroline@oak-state.com

CARY, N.C., U.S.A. (October 17, 2022)– Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company, and Lyfebulb, a patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry experts to support user-driven innovation, are pleased to announce that Isabel Portero, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO at Biohope Scientific Solutions, and Chet Bennett, founder at the C. Alan Foundation, have been selected as the winners of the 2022 Lyfebulb – Veloxis Innovation Challenge.

Biohope Scientific Solutions received the Innovation Award and a $25,000 grant to further development of precision medicine IVD tools for chronic inflammatory conditions, specifically IMMUNOBIOGRAM®, a novel IVD kit which allows clinicians to optimize immunosuppressive therapy in patients with kidney transplants. The C. Alan Foundation received the Impact Award and a $15,000 grant to continue their work of bringing awareness to the kidney disease community and assisting the population by offering counseling, nutrition, toiletries, education, housing, transportation and support.

“We are encouraged and inspired by the innovation on display as a part of this Innovation Challenge,” says Mark Hensley, CEO of Veloxis, an Asahi Kasei company. "Each of these entrepreneurs share Veloxis’ commitment to patients and we are grateful for the opportunity to support their work. Congratulations to all of the finalists on their exciting future in addressing the many unmet needs that remain in transplantation.”

The 2022 Lyfebulb-Veloxis Innovation Challenge took place at a two-day summit on October 13-14 in Cary, N.C., at Veloxis’ headquarters. The event welcomed entrepreneurs from around the world with groundbreaking ideas for solutions to improve lived experience and outcomes for those affected by transplantation, including treatments and procedures; diagnostics and patient monitoring; health equity advancements; and improvements to quality of life, among others. Solutions at any stage of the patient journey were welcomed, from pre-transplant to post-transplant and longer-term management.

A total of 10 finalists – who were selected after an initial application process – were invited to present their business solutions to an expert panel of judges comprised of healthcare industry, medical and patient leaders. Finalists' solutions were selected based on their potential to address the needs of the transplant community, in addition to the feasibility and sustainability of their ideas. Beyond the pitch presentations, summit attendees also enjoyed keynote addresses from Mark Hensley (CEO, Veloxis) and Shelby Hansen (Transplant Recipient, Patient Ambassador and Life Coach), as well as workshops and learning hubs with industry experts.

“We are very impressed with the level of innovation and personal commitment that each finalist presented to us during this challenge,” says Karin Hehenberger, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Lyfebulb. “The transplant community is craving new technology, faster and more secure processes and less toxic drugs. We are proud to support efforts, together with Veloxis, toward a better future for people living with an organ transplant.”

To learn more about the Lyfebulb-Veloxis Innovation Challenge, visit Lyfebulb.com.

Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, an Asahi Kasei company, is a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of transplant patients. Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, USA, Veloxis is focused on the global development and commercialization of medications utilized by transplant patients and by patients with serious related diseases. For further information, please visit Veloxis.com.

The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 40,000 employees around the world, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Healthcare. Its healthcare operations include devices and systems for acute critical care, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis, transfusion, and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals and diagnostic reagents. For further information, please visit Asahi-Kasei.com.

Lyfebulb is an online digital platform that empowers people living with chronic illnesses to thrive through education, innovation and connectivity. The company bridges the gap between patient communities and the healthcare industry by working directly with patients and care partners to generate insights and build new solutions to reduce the burden of living with chronic disease. The company operates two digital patient communities, TransplantLyfe and IBDLyfe. For more information, visit Lyfebulb.com, TransplantLyfe.com, IBDLyfe.com, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Karin Hehenberger’s personal LinkedIn.