Horizon Therapeutics Launches Third Annual Horizon Prize

Rare Daily Staff

Horizon Therapeutics launched the third annual global innovation challenge, an annual event in which a challenge question is posed to entrepreneurs and innovators worldwide to solve a relevant issue in the rare disease community.

One winner will be awarded a total of $150,000 in funding.

Horizon said an estimated 85 percent of biomedical research funding is wasted because of inefficiencies, highlighting an opportunity to decrease waste and redundancies while increasing the impact of investments in research and development.

This year’s question is “How can we decrease the environmental impact of the rare disease healthcare space and alleviate burdens for rare disease families?” Horizon said it is seeking to find a wide variety of technology-based solutions that can address areas including, but not limited to improving the diagnostic odyssey, enhance the efficiency of clinical trials and research, reduce single-use products and unnecessary plastics and medical/hazardous waste throughout research and manufacturing; create or promote alternative packaging that may be reusable, recyclable or biodegradable without compromising sterility or safety; optimizing the transportation of supplies and treatments by addressing shipping inefficiencies, cold storage and last-mile delivery

Applications are due by June 23, 2023.

“This year’s Horizon Prize challenges innovators to bring forward ideas that can decrease research inefficiencies while also addressing issues that rare disease patients and their caregivers face,” said Tim Walbert, chairman, president, and CEO of Horizon.

Photo: Tim Walbert, chairman, president, and CEO of Horizon