Using 'Crowdsourcing' As A Way of Effectively Dealing with Diabetes
The second form of diabetes (type 2) is an ailment that affects many wealthy members of society, often condemning them to an early grave. Sanofi-Aventis, a pharmaceutical firm is of the opinion that the general public could assist in the implementation of an effective answer to this problem.
The engaging aspect of Sanifi-Aventis's novel diabetes challenge is the way it has correctly identified the significance of information and the strength of the crowd in discovering improved methods of handling diabetes. This new diabetes challenge has individuals and the comprehension of their behaviour at its forefront.
Prizes of over two hundred thousand dollars in total are being offered by the Sanofi-Aventis innovation challenge, the very first prize winner will receive 50 % of that amount and the winner will be allowed to keep the IP.
Bit.ly's main scientist Hilary Mason and Cloundera founder Jeff Hammerbacher are in the team of judges for this competition.
Assuredly, this competition by Sanofi-Aventis is a wonderful indicator of things yet to come in the areas of diseases that have a remarkable effect on peoples lifestyles, this could lead to a new era of 'crowdsourced' solutions made for the people by the people.
Could this also herald the beginning of a new collaboration between pharmaceutical firms and their customers?
The prize from this competition will most likely be obtained by an expert, although Sanofi-Aventis believes that there is a good likelihood that prize could be obtained by an individual lacking any form of medical health history.
Sanofi-Aventis went on to say that in this challenge, they are not seeking the most intelligent notion or the most state-of-the-art technology. They are instead seeking a solution that would combine the power of insight made possible by 'open data sets' in collaboration with the link made possible by a human focused design that would innovatively aid people suffering from diabetes within America.
Therefore this is a search for a lifestyle oriented answer.
Meanwhile, Sanofi-Aventis could be in a bit if a tangle with its form of heart therapy branded as 'Multitaq'. Looking to the general population for answers does seem very sensible; in many sectors innovation has gone downstream and laboratory oriented innovation is not producing adequate results.
The implications of this new approach are thus: while an open sourced innovation technique delves ever deeper into the pharmaceutical industry, does t not at the same time force patients to assume a greater amount of responsibility, in that patients will have to start engaging in collaboration efforts with vendors and will have to constantly involve themselves in the making of novel solutions?
The future of therapies should be a future in which patients and general society are fully able to avoid legal responsibility as a result of their involvement.