Cancer  
 January 24, 2018

A call for action to patient entrepreneurs in the area of cancer to compete at the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Summit for the first ever Lyfebulb- Helsinn Innovation Award

The Award recognizes Patient Entrepreneurs’ Innovative Efforts and Ideas for cancer and cancer supportive care using drugs, medical devices, consumer products, or healthcare information technologies. Newly appointed jury panel members unveiled Deadline for submissions: January 22, 2018

MONACO, PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO and NEW YORK, NY, JANUARY, 9, 2018:Lyfebulb and Helsinn Investment Fund S.A., a fund focused on early-stage investments in areas of high unmet patient need, invite patient entrepreneurs that have embraced and endured the real life experiences of cancer to compete for the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Award. It has been announced today that:

  • Carolyn R. “Bo” Aldige, President and Founder of the Prevent Cancer Foundation
  • Stephen Squinto, PhD, Lyfebulb Chairman and Co-Founder, Venture Partner at Orbimed, and Co-Founder of Alexion
  • Professor Patrick Rampal, MD, President of the Scientific Center of Monaco
  • Professor Franco Cavalli, MD, Director of Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland
  • Professor Françoise Meunier, MD, EORTC Director Special Projects

are the newly-appointed jury panel members of the first Lyfebulb- Helsinn Innovation Award. The Award will recognize outstanding entrepreneurial potential to commercialize innovative efforts and ideas to better manage and improve the quality of life of cancer patients with respect, integrity, and quality, using drugs, medical devices, consumer products and healthcare information technologies. Established companies of all sizes founded by cancer patients, cancer survivors, or those having a close relative with cancer, who have created a product to address issues encountered by cancer patients, are invited to submit applications by January 22, 2018, through the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Summit & Award website, where more information regarding eligibility and key criteria can also be found.

Ten finalists will be selected by Karin Hehenberger, MD PhD, CEO and Founder of Lyfebulb, and Mr. Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, and invited to compete at the Innovation Summit which will be hosted on 26-27 March 2018, by Helsinn Investment Fund at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, in Monaco, Principality of Monaco. The Summit is founded upon Lyfebulb’s concept of Patient Entrepreneurship and Helsinn’s determination to provide the best supportive care for cancer patients and to improve the health and quality of life of every person affected by cancer. At the summit, the top finalists will be chosen by a panel of experts through a special “pitch session.” In recognition of the best innovative efforts and ideas, a symbolic monetary prize of USD 25’000 will be given to the entrepreneur winner to advance his/her business and use his/her life expertise to help manage the burden of cancer.

“At Lyfebulb, we come into contact with many people who are putting their own experiences with cancer towards developing solutions to help others. Now, for the first time, patient entrepreneurs have the opportunity to receive exposure and financing toward their companies through a targeted event to help them advance their cause,” says Dr. Karin Hehenberger.

Riccardo Braglia added, “Lyfebulb is about encouraging the best in patient entrepreneurship, drawing on the talents of people with first-hand experience of the cancer journey to help develop innovative approaches to cancer supportive care, and this is very much aligned with Helsinn’s journey. We are delighted of the jury panel – their expertise, experience, industry knowledge and dynamism in helping people with cancer will be invaluable.”

About Lyfebulb
Lyfebulb is a chronic disease focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients, Industry (manufacturers and payers) and investors to support user-driven innovation. Lyfebulb promotes a healthy, take-charge lifestyle for those affected by chronic disease. Grounded with its strong foundation in Diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into Cancer and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

See www.lyfebulbprod.staging.wpengine.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn, and Lyfebulb LinkedIn.

About Helsinn Investment Fund
The Helsinn Investment Fund is focused on early-stage investments in areas of high unmet patient need. Backed by the Helsinn Group, and guided by Helsinn’s core values of quality, integrity and respect, Helsinn Investment Fund aims to help companies with innovative technologies to transform new ideas into commercial solutions with the potential to impact health-related quality of life of patients. Drawing on Helsinn’s over 40 years of investment into research and development and commercial expertise, the investment fund selects companies with technologies in a range of areas including cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, cancer supportive care, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, and dermatology conditions.
For more information, visit www.helsinninvestmentfund.com

About the Helsinn Group
Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a robust drug development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. Since 2012, Helsinn has been coordinating clinical and regulatory activities in China from Beijing and in 2017 established an office in Shanghai to pursue commercial activities. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Switzerland, Ireland, and the U.S., as well as a product presence in approximately 190 countries globally.

For more information:
Helsinn Group Media Contact
Paola Bonvicini
Group Head of Communication, Helsinn
Lugano, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21
Info-hhc@helsinn.com
Please visit www.helsinn.com
We are on Twitter. Follow us @HelsinnGroup
We are on LinkedIn. Follow us @ Helsinn Group

Press Contact for Lyfebulb:
Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD
CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb,
Phone: + 00 1 917-575-0210
Email: karin@lyfebulb.com
Please visit www.lyfebulb.com
We are on Twitter. Follow us @Lyfebulb