LymeX

A public-private partnership with the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation

Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses present an urgent public health challenge. We need all hands on deck for coordinated public health efforts to address the real threat these diseases pose. Developing new and better ways to address these diseases is crucial—but real advancement cannot occur in a vacuum.

That's why HHS launched the LymeX Innovation Accelerator (LymeX), an innovation partnership with the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. LymeX is modeled after the success and methods of the KidneyX Innovation Accelerator, a partnership between HHS and the American Society of Nephrology that includes kidney-care patients in every step of its innovation process.

Mission

LymeX will accelerate Lyme Innovation progress and strategically advance tick-borne-disease solutions in direct collaboration with Lyme patients, patient advocates, and diverse stakeholders across academia, nonprofits, industry, and government.

Goals

Engage Stakeholders to Facilitate Patient-Centered Innovations

By including patients and stakeholders in every step of identifying, developing, and implementing advancements in Lyme disease care, LymeX fosters innovations that can deliver transformative impact on patients' quality of life. LymeX is exploring how collaborative partnership models can best support stakeholder engagement. For example, the Health+ approach pinpoints challenges from the patient's point of view to identify and map development of new tools and technological solutions.

In close collaboration with stakeholders, LymeX aims to:

Build capacity for effective, efficient communication among patients, stakeholders, and HHS
Identify common challenges in patient and healthcare provider experiences
Hold a roundtable to outline possible improvements and solutions
Make plans for quickly developing and testing solution prototypes

Foster Breakthroughs in Education and Awareness

LymeX supports innovative health education and public awareness initiatives that focus on tick-borne disease prevention and help clinicians, patients, and caregivers benefit from the latest scientific findings.

Accelerate Development of Next-Gen Diagnostics

LymeX prize challenges encourage rapid, cross-sector, patient-centered diagnostic innovations. These challenges will drive creators, industries, and academia toward breakthroughs in more accurate Lyme diagnosis, helping make next-gen diagnostics available more quickly.

Blog Posts and Ways to Learn More

For the most up-to-date information, statistics, and guidance on Lyme disease and related illnesses, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Lyme disease website.

These HHS blog posts offer additional information related to the LymeX partnership, a part of the broader Lyme Innovation initiative: