InnovationX
Lyme Innovation
The HHS Lyme Innovation initiative is a patient-centered, data-driven approach to addressing the serious threat of Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne illnesses.
Lyme disease affects more than 476,000 people in the United States each year, and that number is growing. The geographic spread of the disease is also growing due to the changing climate and other factors. Lyme disease accounts for more than 70% of all vector-borne illnesses in our country. Lyme and other tickborne conditions cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually.
By supporting interdisciplinary collaborations that reflect the initiative’s core principles, Lyme Innovation is:
Building commitment to data-driven, patient-centered innovations that improve outcomes.
Identifying ways to better collect and share data while raising awareness of tickborne illnesses.
Accelerating discovery of next-generation diagnostic tools and technologies.
Lowering barriers across all phases of development, testing, and implementation.
Lyme Innovation at a glance
Launched on November 20, 2018 by HHS.
Awarded $1 million through the LymeX Diagnostics Prize.
Hosted roundtables, interviews, listening sessions, and workshops with patients, advocates, providers, clinicians, researchers, and policy makers.
Lyme Innovation is catalyzing change through three strategic priorities
Engage stakeholders to facilitate patient-centered innovations
Lyme Innovation grounds advancements in lived experience through listening sessions, roundtables, and other learning approaches.
Advance education and awareness
Lyme Innovation fosters the development of new, community-based education and prevention efforts.
Foster breakthroughs in next-generation diagnostics
Lyme Innovation runs open innovation programs that incentivize and reduce risk for development.
A Call for Innovators and Breakthrough Solutions
Through strategic partnerships, Lyme Innovation is accelerating patient-centered advancements in addressing Lyme and other tickborne diseases.
February 2024—HHS announces winners of Phase 2 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize Competitions
January 2023—Phase 2 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize launches , inviting the 10 Phase 1 winners to participate in the Phase 2 virtual accelerator.
May 2022—Phase 1 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize launches , seeking innovative methods for detecting active Lyme disease infections in people. The first phase awards $1 million in prizes across 10 winners.
December 2021—Lyme Innovation announces new government partnerships in support of LymeX. Interagency agreements with the NASA Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) aim to address the complex challenges presented by Lyme.
June 2021—Lyme Innovation hosts the LymeX Education and Awareness Healthathon, calling on the public to create educational materials that help raise awareness about symptoms of Lyme disease and medical care. Submissions are accepted from June 17 to July 20, 2021, and Lyme Innovation names five winners.
February 2021—Lyme Innovation releases the Accelerating Innovation in Diagnostic Testing for Lyme Disease Request for Information (RFI) to understand the current landscape and emerging technologies to improve Lyme disease diagnostics. The RFI receives 32 responses from the public on how research and investments in rapidly developed COVID-19 diagnostics might be adapted or repurposed for Lyme and tickborne diseases.
January 2021—Health+ Lyme Disease program cycle launches. In support of LymeX, the Health+ Lyme Disease program cycle carries out a series of research and prototyping cycles aimed at surfacing insights, stories, journeys, and opportunities around the experiences of people living with Lyme disease. The Health+ Lyme Disease team completes nearly 700 hours of interviews, listening sessions, and workshops.
October 2020—HHS and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation announce the $25 million LymeX Innovation Accelerator (LymeX), the largest Lyme disease public-private partnership in history. As a component of a larger moonshot, LymeX is identifying, developing, and implementing advancements in Lyme disease care—including next-generation diagnostics.
To learn more about LymeX prize competitions and how to get involved, visit Lyme-X.org .
The Approach
The HHS Lyme Innovation initiative sees patients as more than the recipients of new prevention, diagnostic, and treatment tools and techniques to address Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses. Patients are the driving forces of innovation, and their lived experiences inform our roadmap.
Lyme Innovation’s guiding principles are
Accountability – The buck stops here.
Collaboration – Citizens and patients are equal partners.
Compassion – Finding solutions to relieve suffering.
Excellence – Quality, real-world evidence underlies decision-making.
Honesty/Integrity – Find the truth. Tell the truth.
Innovation – Shifting paradigms. Finding a better way.
Respect – Everyone is valued.
Additional Information
Press Releases and Blog Posts
Phase 2 Winners in LymeX Diagnostics Prize announced (February 6, 2024)
“HHS Shines Spotlight on Diagnostic Innovation During Lyme Disease Awareness Month” (May 3, 2023)
Phase 2 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize announced (February 2, 2023)
Phase 1 Winners in LymeX Diagnostics Prize announced (November 9, 2022)
Phase 1 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize receives over 50 submissions (September 26, 2022)
Phase 1 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize launched (May 18, 2022)
New LymeX government partnerships announced (December 27, 2021)
“LymeX Exemplifies the Power of Partnerships after One Year of Progress” (October 20, 2021)
LymeX announced (October 10, 2020)
11 “TOP Health” Tech Sprint teams announced (January 7, 2019)
Lyme Innovation initiative launched (November 20, 2018)
External Websites
Visit Lyme-X.org .
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Lyme Innovation: Real-World Impact
Lyme Innovation developments that are already making an impact on tick-borne illnesses
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LymeX
Public-private partnership between HHS and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to accelerate innovation in prevention efforts, diagnostics, and treatments for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases
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Tick-Borne Diseases Working Group
Working Group that reviews federal tick-borne disease efforts and research priorities, including Lyme Innovation, while ensuring interagency coordination
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KidneyX
Public-private partnership between HHS and the American Society of Nephrology to accelerate innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases
Content created by Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH)
Content last reviewed May 16, 2024