The Great Innovation Challenge: How challenge prizes can kick-start the British economy
One of the first round winners, a team led by Shuvo Roy from UC San Francisco ultimately wants to produce an implantable biomechanical kidney.51 But the prize led them to design a small home dialysis unit based on their preliminary designs for the implantable one. The focus on improving quality of life now rather than waiting for a full solution helped redirect their attention. Help innovators thrive The required patient engagement for all entries comes with introductions to patient groups that have already signed-up to support the prize: ‘We know that many KidneyX applicants will be entering the kidney space for the first time and will not have direct access to patients. As such, we have developed a list of contacts at reliable partner patient organizations that could help identify patients that would be interested in providing direct feedback to KidneyX applicants.’52 This appears to have changed the narrative for some of the entries, with demonstrable awareness of improving quality of life in the winners of phase one, including the UC San Francisco team above. The Department of Health and Human Services divisions participating in KidneyX include the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health . This combination offers new access to – and a sympathetic ear from – large patient populations, regulators and research funders. KidneyX preceded, and perhaps helped make the argument for the Executive Order signed by President Trump in 2019 to launch Advancing American Kidney Health. The initiative provides specific solutions to deliver on three goals: fewer patients developing kidney failure, fewer Americans receiving dialysis in dialysis centres, and more kidneys available for transplant. In particular, it is pushing for regulatory change to make home dialysis possible for more patients – led by the regulators who will need to make that change.53 The winners of Phase 1 of this competition have received an additional $75,000 to support their prototypes for Phase 2. Moreover, they now each have confirmation that their idea is viable from the panel of 40 experts that judged that round, as well as online videos showcasing their work from the US Government. This should help support their case for additional investment. One company, Outset Medical, recently closed a round of $125m funding for its solution. It was established in 2003, so some of its technology and reputation predates the prize. But the win in Phase 1 is central to its promotional information, and with the momentum of the additional government funding for KidneyX, will likely have helped it secure that funding.
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