Sanofi Announces Call for Submissions for Ignite: The Diabetes Ideas Challenge

  Sanofi  announced today that it is accepting submissions for Ignite: The Diabetes Ideas Challenge ("Ignite Challenge"). The web-based Ignite Challenge invites patients, caregivers, designers, engineers, and innovators from around the globe to submit ideas that could shape the features and design of a next-generation, insulin delivery device for people with diabetes. Building on the user experience and technology advances of the past 30 years, the Ignite Challenge seeks to address the critical need for innovative, easy-to-use and cost-effective devices for delivering injectable medications for the treatment of diabetes.  

    "Over time and across geographies, we observe a consistent increase in the use of injectable medications among the more than 370 million people living with diabetes," said Pierre Chancel, Senior Vice President, Global Diabetes, Sanofi. "Through innovation challenges such as the Ignite Challenge, Sanofi hopes to foster creative thinking and new ideas that may improve the way people manage their diabetes in the future using patient-friendly and innovative devices."  

    Many people living with diabetes use insulin and an insulin delivery device as part of their overall treatment plan, which may include other medications, along with a healthy diet and exercise. The Ignite Challenge turns to innovators to submit ideas that may advance the technology and design of today's insulin delivery devices, while maintaining key factors including reliability, ease of use and aesthetic appeal. The Ignite Challenge will award ten winning submissions $5,000 each for their original ideas.  

    Challenge concept submissions must meet the following three criteria:  

       
        - Accessibility - concept must be usable by a broad population, including
          the young and old, or people with impaired hand use or vision.
        - Appropriateness - concept must be easy to integrate into daily life and be of
          high quality. Device should be portable and aesthetically pleasing. It has to be
          recognizable as an injection device, while not appearing overtly medical.
        - Functionality - Device must meet functional requirements as a medical tool,
          should enable accurate delivery, have functionality for extended periods without
          electricity, and the ability to store more than one dose of insulin per disposable
          device.

    "Sanofi understands the importance of going beyond the molecule to help people manage the complex challenges of diabetes," said Christoph Heinemann, Vice President Strategy and Portfolio Management, Global Diabetes, Sanofi. "While we are committed to our current and award-winning insulin delivery device offerings, we understand the importance of exploring new, innovative approaches that may take years to develop and test but that could provide additional offerings to people living with diabetes."  

    Over the past few years, innovation challenges have become an integral part of Sanofi's commitment to diabetes care. This year marks the company's third annual Data Design Diabetes(TM) Innovation Challenge in the U.S., which has a three-part aim: innovation in the quality, delivery, and cost of diabetes care. Sanofi U.S. also developed the Partners in Patient Health Collaborate - Activate Innovation Challenge in 2012, which awarded teams that delivered novel approaches to better engage patients in healthcare. The Ignite Challenge continues this momentum by encouraging the development of solutions that show potential to directly meet patients' needs.