Epilepsy Therapy Project Announces Second Annual "Shark Tank" Competition and $100,000 Prize for the Most Innovative, New Products for People with Epilepsy

Prize Winner to Be Announced at the Antiepileptic Drug and Device Trials XII Conference

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Epilepsy Therapy Project (ETP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate new therapies for people living with epilepsy and seizures, and the parent organization of epilepsy.com, today announced its second annual "Shark Tank" Competition. ETP is inviting entries that represent the most innovative new ideas in epilepsy treatment and care.  The deadline for submission is January 15, 2013 at 6 p.m. Eastern. The winner of the 2013 Shark Tank Competition will receive national recognition and a $100,000 cash award to support the development and commercialization of an important new product, technology or therapeutic concept. 

The top finalists will present their product concepts or therapeutic candidates at the Antiepileptic Drug and Device Trials (AEDD) XII Conference in Miami being held on May 15-17, 2013.  The winning entry will be selected by live voting at the conference by an expert panel of judges and audience members representing industry, patient advocacy, investment, research and medical communities. The project deemed most innovative will be announced at the conclusion of the conference, and the winner will receive a $100,000 grant to help accelerate the idea from concept to people with epilepsy.  Contest finalists will also benefit from exposure to industry executives and investors.  Shark Tank finalists will be notified by February 15, 2013 and are eligible for a travel stipend to attend the AEDD conference. 

"The 'Shark Tank' Competition is designed to spur inventors and entrepreneurs to submit proposals for product concepts, therapeutics or technologies with the promise of improving treatment and/or quality-of-life for people living with epilepsy.  Last year we saw some amazing and well-conceived ideas that opened our minds to entirely new products with near-term potential for patient trial and commercialization," said Jacqueline French, M.D., Professor of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine; President, The Epilepsy Study Consortium  and Vice President of Research for Epilepsy Therapy Project.  "Epilepsy and seizure conditions affect more than 60 million people -- from infants and adults to accident victims and war veterans suffering from head injuries. There is a critical need for more effective therapies for the millions of people who still suffer seizures despite available therapies."

The winner of the 2012 "Shark Tank" Competition was Charles Anderson of HiPass Design for his Smartphone Movement Detector, a life-saving seizure alarm system that detects and records night-time seizures. Anderson was inspired to create his movement detector when he found existing solutions were inadequate for alerting him to his son's seizures. ETP Shark Tank judges, together with audience vote participation, selected this advanced seizure movement detector over the other excellent finalists as the most innovative concept with near-term benefit for people with epilepsy.  Anderson received a grant to support and accelerate the development and commercialization of this seizure alarm, which is now in trials and helping others within the epilepsy community.

How to Submit Your Idea

Applicants must qualify by submitting an outline of their project and development goals with a statement of near-term potential benefit to people with epilepsy and should specify how the $100,000 prize aware will accelerate their products. Applicants should be able to demonstrate the development path of their submitted ideas from concept, or current stage, through completion.  Inventors who submitted ideas for the 2012 Shark Tank Competition are encouraged to re-submit their ideas if substantial progress has been made. 

Some examples of novel and exciting concepts include:

• a drug or device treatment that stops a seizure (especially those already developed or approved for a different indication)
• a system that helps patients manage their treatment or their epilepsy (less invasive, less costly anti-epileptic drug measurement, for example)
• a device that prevents personal injury from a seizure
• any other concept that could improve the lives of people with epilepsy potentially in the near future
  

For more information and instructions on submitting an idea for consideration, please visit http://my.epilepsy.com/etp/aedtrialxii#sharktank or contact [email protected]. 

The Antiepileptic Drug and Device Trials (AEDD) XII Conference

The Antiepileptic Drug and Device Trials (AEDD) XII Conference will bring together representatives from the research and medical communities, academia, industry, investment and government agencies to facilitate professional collaboration and partnerships that will accelerate patient access to new epilepsy treatments.  The conference will take place May 15 - 17, 2013 at the Turnberry Isle Hotel, Aventura (North Miami Beach), Florida, and is sponsored by The Epilepsy Study Consortium in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Epilepsy Center and the Epilepsy Therapy Project.  For additional information or to register for AEDD XII, please visit http://my.epilepsy.com/etp/aedtrialxii.

About the Epilepsy Therapy Project

The Epilepsy Therapy Project is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate ideas into therapies for people living with epilepsy and seizures.  Founded in 2002 by a group of parents, distinguished physicians, and researchers, the Epilepsy Therapy Project supports the commercialization of new therapies through direct grants and investments in promising academic and commercial projects.  ETP recently announced an intent to merge with the Epilepsy Foundation (http://my.epilepsy.com/newsfeeds/press_release/999447). For more information about epilepsy, epilepsy treatment, the epilepsy pipeline, or to donate, please visit our website, www.epilepsy.com or call 540.687.8077.                                                          

SOURCE Epilepsy Therapy Project