Washington DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge

Awardees

	Mae Maeis a culturally competent digital health platform connecting Black expectant mothers with critical resources to drive positive pregnancy outcomes, including a network of doulas for in-person and virtual support, weekly health and symptom tracking, and curated, culturally-specific educational content to address the unique needs of Black women.
	Mammha Mammhais a web-enabled application that takes care of maternal mental health screening, referral, and care coordination, so that healthcare providers can take care of moms, and moms can take care of themselves and their families.
	Paradox Immunotherapeutics Paradox Immunotherapeuticsdevelops immunotherapies to combat protein misfolding diseases using a proven-successful antibody design platform. Their specialized antibodies selectively target and remove disease-causing forms of proteins that cause organ dysfunction.
	Tiny Cargo Tiny Cargo has innovated a highly efficient method of isolating pure non-immunogenic bovine milk exosomes capable of being loaded with therapeutic peptidic drugs, avoiding first pass metabolism and peptidase breakdown in the blood, the primary barriers to peptide therapeutic translation.
	Vasculonics Inc Vasculonics is a startup biotechnology company developing modulators of DDAH for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease, chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury

Overview

In diverse cities like the District of Columbia, health inequities are driven by systemic racial and socioeconomic disparities.[1]服务不足的社区，包括大多数居民是有色人种或收入差异的社区，都承受着不公正的合并症，负面的健康结果和获得护理的障碍。[2]

According to a recent Health Equity Report by the District of Columbia Department of Health, the District’s mortality rate caused by leading diseases such as chronic heart disease, cancer, and diabetes outranked the United States’ rate in 2015.[3]These rates were even higher in the District’s Black and Hispanic residents compared to its White residents.[2]

约翰逊和约翰逊的创新with Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Office of theDeputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development，，，，working with theWashington DC Economic Partnership，，，，are proud to launch theWashington, DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challengedesigned with the aim to help address the chronic healthcare and morbidity challenges similar to those faced in underserved communities within the District of Columbia, and develop ways to help achieve health equity.

Innovators from across the globe are invited to submit potential science and technology solutions aiming to address racial and socioeconomic disparities that impact health in communities like the District of Columbia. Potential solutions must include innovations that aim to transform patient outcomes in maternal mortality, cardiovascular diseases and systemic autoimmunity, and kidney diseases.

A total of up to $250,000 in grant funding will be awarded to up to four innovators with increments starting at a minimum of $50,000. Awardees will also receive an opportunity to reside atjlabs@ Washington, DC这是位于西北华盛顿特区的新儿童国家研究与创新校园的32,000平方英尺孵化器，位于前沃尔特·里德（Walter Reed）陆军医疗中心校园。获奖者还将获得Johnson＆Johnson家族公司的指导，资源和编程的访问权限。乐动体育意甲直播With Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS strategically located in Washington, DC, and on the new campus, resident companies can benefit from this innovative ecosystem, which includes Children’s National Research Institutes, Virginia Tech, with close proximity to federal research institutions and agencies, university and academic research centers, and a robust biohealth community.

[1]202 Tolchin B等。J Med Ethics 2021; 47：200–202。doi：10.1136/Medethics-2020-106457https://jme.bmj.com/content/medethics/47/3/200.full.pdf

[2]National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States; Baciu A, Negussie Y, Geller A, et al., editors. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Jan 11. 3, The Root Causes of Health Inequity. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425845/

[3]District of Columbia Department of Health. (February 2019). Health Equity Report.

Areas of Interest

Innovators from across the globe are invited to submit potential science and technology solutions aiming to helpaddress racial and socioeconomic disparitiesthat can impact health in communities like the District of Columbia. Potential solutions must include innovations that aim to transform patient outcomes in one or more of the following areas:

• Maternal mortality,旨在解决孕产妇死亡率的主要原因during, and after pregnancy
• Cardiovascular diseases and systemic autoimmunity，，，，with interest in
  • The IL-23 pathway in disease, with particular interest in real-world evidence platforms
  • 的目标、途径和锅的平台ential to transform the care of patients with cardiovascular disease
• Kidney diseases，，，，with interest in
  • Development of novel regulatory endpoints for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)/Lupus nephritis (LN)
  • Mechanisms of actions that aim to slow or halt the progression of diabetic kidney disease, chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, polycystic kidney diseases, and rare kidney diseases
  • 旨在将分子传递到肾脏疾病各种细胞类型的技术

Application process

Potential solutions will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers and judges on their ability to meet the following criteria:

• Uniqueness of the idea
• Potential impact on human health, with a specific focus on innovations有潜力demonstrate how their solution will have an impact on a healthcare area of significant need in DC
• Feasibility of the idea
• Thoroughness of approach
• Identification of key resources and a plan to further the idea

Why this challenge matters to us

Socioeconomic status and income inequalities also pose significant health risks. District residents living in low-income neighborhoods are seven times more likely to report fair or poor health compared to residents with high income, while unemployed residents are 83% more likely to develop stress-related conditions and other diseases.[1]These health disparities have been shown to impact the wellness of mothers as well as patients sufferings from cardiovascular and kidney disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) May 2019Vital SignsReport，，，，every year in the United States, approximately 50,000 mothers are severely injured and nearly 700 women die from pregnancy-related complications. Of these deaths, the CDC estimates that three in five are preventable and half the injuries could be avoided with proper care. In September 2020, the District of Columbia Department of Health released the Five-Year Maternal & Child Health Needs AssessmentSummary2021 - 2025年表明，从2005年至2014年，每10万名女性因与怀孕有关的原因平均死亡39人死亡 - 美国最高率之一，是全国平均水平的两倍以上，是17的两倍以上。高于非西班牙裔白人母亲，每100,000人死亡13人。在2014年至2016年间，DC记录的孕妇死亡中有75％是黑人妇女。尽管全球的死亡和并发症发生率降低，但美国面临的率提高，使其成为发达国家最危险的地方。此外，黑人，美洲印第安人和阿拉斯加人（AI/AN）妇女是two to three times more likelyto die from pregnancy-related causes than White women.

作为reported byHarvard Health, “your ZIP code can be more important than your genetic code” when it涉及心血管疾病，这可能是由防止适当护理和治疗的社会经济因素驱动的。尽管the declines in cardiovascular mortality observed in the United States over the last three decades, many population subgroups defined by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, educational level, or geography show striking, and often widening, disparities in cardiovascular health.[1]

Similarly, socioeconomic factors influence kidney disease, with lack of access to care increasing risk factors and later, often preventing proper treatment.[2]African American, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native adults are twice as likely as white adults to have diabetes, which is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease.[3]

It’s our goal to find new and innovative technologies that aim to provide solutions for patients from across the world. We especially encourage innovators from diverse backgrounds to participate. Working together, we can spark the next great idea that can potentially change the trajectory of health.

[1]https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.cir.0000158134.24860.91

[2]Nicholas SB, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Norris KC. Socioeconomic disparities in chronic kidney disease. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2015;22(1):6-15. doi:10.1053/j.ackd.2014.07.002

[3]https://www.dpcedcenter.org/news-events/news/kidney-health-disparities/

About Johnson & Johnson Innovation

Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC focuses on accelerating all stages of innovation worldwide and forming collaborations between entrepreneurs and Johnson & Johnson’s global healthcare businesses. Johnson & Johnson Innovation provides scientists, entrepreneurs and emerging companies with one-stop access to science and technology experts who can facilitate collaborations across the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer companies of Johnson & Johnson. Under the Johnson & Johnson Innovation umbrella of businesses, we connect with innovators through our regional Innovation Centers; Johnson & Johnson Innovation-jlabs; JJDC, Inc.; and our business development teams to create customized deals and novel collaborations that speed development of innovations to solve unmet needs in patients. JLABS provides the laboratories, expertise, education, tools and resources needed to help life science startups thrive, all with no strings attached. A Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center (CDI @ TMC) has been established to accelerate the development of medical devices. For more information about Johnson & Johnson Innovation, please visit:www.jnjinnovation.com。

关于Johnson＆Johnson Innovation -Jlabs

Johnson & Johnson Innovation-jlabs（JLABS）是一个全球开放创新生态系统的网络，在包括药品，医疗设备，消费者和健康技术领域在内的广泛医疗保健领域促进并赋予创新者，以创建和加速挽救生命，增强生命的健康和健康解决方案和加速给世界各地的患者。JLABS通过为新兴公司提供最佳环境来实现这一点明天的突破性医疗解决方案。在JLABS，我们重视伟大的想法，并热衷于消除成功的障碍，以帮助创新者释放其早期科学发现的潜力。JLABS是一个无弦的模型，这意味着企业家可以在坚持其知识产权的同时自由发展科学。JLABS还发表了运动，以寻找名为Quickfire挑战的最佳科学。乐动体育为什么赞助西甲有关更多信息，请访问www.www.2574design.comor follow @JLABS.

关于计划和经济发展副市长办公室

计划和经济发展副市长办公室（DMPED）协助市长在哥伦比亚特区的协调，计划，监督和执行经济发展工作，目的是创造和保存负担得起的住房，创造就业机会，工作，以及创造就业机会，以及增加税收收入。DMPED追求政策和计划，以创造牢固的社区，扩大和多样化当地经济，并为居民提供通往中产阶级的途径。

关于华盛顿特区经济合作伙伴关系（WDCEP）

The Washington DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP) is a non-profit, public-private organization that drives inclusive economic growth and job creation, supports business and promotes Washington, DC as a leading global city.