Lead Detect Prize Announces Three Phase 2 Winners
The Lead Detect Prize announced three Phase 2 winners, awarding $500,000 to Meridian Bioscience for its blood lead test development, as part of a $1 million challenge to advance child lead testing. Read the original press release here.
Washington, DC, October 24, 2024 - This week, the Lead Detect Prize, a $1 million challenge to enhance testing for lead in children, announced three Phase 2 winners. Meridian Bioscience, the first-place winner, will receive $500,000 to support further development of its point-of-care blood lead test. OndaVia will receive the second-place prize of $250,000, and GlucoSentient and UT Austin will receive the third-place prize of $100,000.
Phase 2 winners were announced during a Demo Day at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. At the October 24 event — held during the 25th annual National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week — all five Phase 2 teams presented their lead detection solutions to an audience of funders, policymakers, industry partners, public health experts, clinicians, and researchers.
Congratulations to the Phase 2 winners:
- First-place winner Meridian Bioscience is using electrochemical sensors to detect lead by measuring the electrical current in a blood sample.
- Second-place winner OndaVia is applying optical technology to detect the presence of lead using a distinctive fingerprint signature.
- Third-place winner GlucoSentient is adapting a blood glucose meter platform and using a DNAzyme sensor to detect lead in a blood sample.
Phase 1 of the Lead Detect Prize received 21 concepts from teams in nine countries. Five Phase 1 winners received $30,000 each and advanced to Phase 2, which featured a virtual accelerator with technical assistance and resources — including access to experts in user-centered design and diagnostics regulation — to help teams develop their solutions. At the end of Phase 2, teams submitted detailed designs and early evidence of solution performance.
The Lead Detect Prize aims to advance point-of-care testing solutions to enable more reliable, accessible, and efficient blood lead testing for children. By inviting innovators to harness new methods and emerging technologies, the challenge has turned scientific possibilities into tangible advancements for public health.
