Lyfebulb and Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Announce Finalists for 2022 Innovation Challenge in Organ Transplantation

NEW YORK and CARY,  N.C., Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lyfebulb, a patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry experts to support user-driven innovation, and Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company, are pleased to announce 10 finalists for the 2022 "Transforming Organ Transplantation Through Innovation" Challenge.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Lyfebulb and are encouraged by the tremendous response to the Innovation Challenge, and the solutions our finalists have developed for this unique patient population," says Mark Hensley, CEO of Veloxis, an Asahi Kasei company. "Veloxis shares their collective energy and dedication to the transplant community, as we continue to invest in solving the many unmet needs that remain in transplantation."

The finalists, who were co-selected by the Lyfebulb and Veloxis Pharmaceuticals teams, have brought forward promising innovations to improve the lived-experience and outcomes for transplant recipients and their loved ones. The potential impact on patients and their care partners, as well as the feasibility and sustainability of innovations in the market, were considerations in the selection of the following finalists:

• Isabel Portero, MD, PhD, CEO and founder, Biohope Scientific Solutions for Human Health
• Rory Cunningham, PhD, pre-clinical scientist, Ochre Bio
• Dalton Shaull, CEO and founder, OmniLife Health
• Thomas Kledal, PhD, co-founder and CEO, Synklino A/S
• Genevieve Springer, PhD, founder and CEO, Organ-AI
• Nick Housby, PhD, co-founder and CEO, Accunea Ltd.
• Joseph Scalea, MD, co-founder and CMO, MediGO, Inc.
• Chet Bennett, founder and CEO, C Alan Foundation
• Sharyn Kreitzer, founder & executive director, Donor Outreach for Veterans, Corp. (DOVE)
• Patricia Scheetz, founder & CEO, The Sweetest Gift

­"We are very excited about the diverse group of finalists that we've selected to work towards bringing innovation to transplantation," said Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD, founder and CEO at Lyfebulb. "They have already shown strength in their commitment and creativity, and we are looking forward to the impact that their work will make on patients and care-givers everywhere."

The finalists will be joined by industry leaders spanning business, venture capital and health care industries for a two-day summit in Cary, N.C. Each finalist will present their solutions to an expert panel of judges on October 13-14, 2022. The judges include:

• Mark Hardy, MD, PhD (Hon), FACS, Auchincloss Professor of Surgery, Director Emeritus and founder of Transplantation Program at Columbia New York-Presbyterian Hospital
• Shelby Hansen, transplant recipient, Lyfebulb patient ambassador and health coach
• Howard Kim, MD, managing director, corporate venture capital at Asahi Kasei America
• Glenda Roberts, director, external relations and patient engagement at UW Kidney Research Institute/Center for Dialysis Innovation; chief strategy and operations officer – Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Center
• Greg Lewis, president and managing partner at Calcium

Prizes will be awarded to two finalists to further grow their companies. The Innovation Award will be presented to a for-profit company and include a $25,000 monetary grant. The Impact Award will be presented to a not-for-profit company and include a $15,000 monetary grant.

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

Veloxis Pharmaceuticals
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.

About Asahi Kasei
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.

About Lyfebulb
Lyfebulb is an innovation accelerator that 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.

For more information:

Veloxis Contact:
Caroline Barnhill
Oak & State Communications
919.244.1130
[email protected]

Lyfebulb Contact:
Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD
CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb
Phone: + 1 917-575-0210
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Lyfebulb