Lyfebulb and Bristol Myers Squibb Announce the Finalists for the 2021 MS Innovation Challenge

NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bristol Myers Squibb Company the biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and delivers innovative medicines to help patients prevail over serious diseases, and Lyfebulb, a patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry to support user-driven innovation, announce ten finalists chosen for the Lyfebulb-Bristol Myer Squibb “Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge”.

For two days in March (10^th-11^th), the following finalists will compete virtually for a grant of $25,000 to further develop their ideas and concepts that will address the unmet needs of people who are suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). This award will also assist in raising an overall awareness about this chronic disease.

• Angie Conley, Founder and CEO of Abilitech Medical
• Jason DaSilva, Founder and President of AXS Lab
• Luanne Dibernardo, Founder and CEO of Oro Sports
• Peter Grande, Co-Founder of MUVE
• David Hojah, CEO of Parrots
• Lucy Jones, Founder and CEO of FFORA
• David Lyons, Founder and Director of MS Fitness Challenge
• Pierluigi Mantovani, CEO of Evolution Devices
• Tish Scolnik, Co-Founder and CEO of GRIT
• Brooke Slick, Founder and Product Developer of Dashco

“Patients are innovators and problem-solvers,” said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, CEO and Founder of Lyfebulb. “Each of these finalists is an attestation to the power of patient entrepreneurship as they have taken their hardships of living with disease – or observing it in a loved one – and have turned those insights into business solutions to help other members of the MS community. We are excited to bring together these inspirational leaders with our expert panel of judges and members of the Lyfebulb and Bristol Myers Squibb teams for an engaging and interactive two-day summit.”

As a Patient Entrepreneur, each and every one of the finalists has been personally affected by Multiple Sclerosis as either a patient, a support partner, or by having had a loved one diagnosed with the disease. During the virtual Innovation Challenge in March, each finalist will be given the opportunity to pitch their solution to a diverse cross section of professionals from across the MS, healthcare and business worlds. The panel judges will include:

• Tim Coetzee, PhD, Chief Advocacy, Services and Research Officer at National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• Kate Cronin, Global CEO of Ogilvy Health
• Teresa Wright Johnson, MS Patient Ambassador at Lyfebulb and Inspirational Speaker
• Darin T. Okuda, MD, MS, FAAN, FANA, Director of the Neuroinnovation Program and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Imaging Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Stephen Squinto, PhD, Executive Partner at OrbiMed and Co-Founder of Alexion

“MS is an ever-changing disease, and Bristol Myers Squibb is grateful to be partnering with Lyfebulb in supporting the entrepreneurs and creators who are looking for inventive new ways to better the lives of those who are living with this unpredictable disease,” said Tina Deignan, Vice President and US Business Unit Head of Immunology at Bristol Myers Squibb.

For further information about the “2021 MS Innovation Challenge”, visit Lyfebulb.com.

About Bristol Myers Squibb
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.
See BMS.com, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Lyfebulb
Lyfebulb is a chronic disease-focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients and industry to support user-driven innovation. With its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, mental health, substance use disorder, migraine, transplantation, psoriasis, chronic cough and chronic kidney disease. See Lyfebulb.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn, and Lyfebulb LinkedIn.

About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable and often disabling disease that affects nearly one million people in the United States.¹ MS is a disease in which the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves. The myelin damage disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body.² Ultimately, the nerves themselves may deteriorate — a process that’s currently irreversible.³

For more information:

Bristol Myers Squibb Contact:
Claire Gillespie
Director, Corporate Affairs, U.S. Immunology Communications, Bristol Myers Squibb
Phone: +1 908-938-4343
Email: Claire.Gillespie@bms.com

Lyfebulb Contact:
Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD
CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb
Phone: + 1 917-575-0210
Email: karin@lyfebulb.com

¹ National Multiple Sclerosis Society. MS Symptoms. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms. Accessed September 24, 2020.
² National Multiple Sclerosis Society. What is Myelin? www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Definition-of-MS/Myelin. Accessed July 07, 2020.
³ AJMC. The Pathologic Foundations of Multiple Sclerosis: Current Considerations. https://www.ajmc.com/view/the-pathologic-foundations-of-multiple-sclerosis-current-considerations. Accessed September 24, 2020.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lyfebulb-and-bristol-myers-squibb-announce-the-finalists-for-the-2021-ms-innovation-challenge-301224711.html

SOURCE Lyfebulb