BOSTON, April 26, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503) announced today the launch of the C³ Prize™, a challenge designed to inspire non-medicine innovations that improve the cancer care experience for patients, caregivers and loved ones. Entries will be accepted through August 8 and following a live pitch to a panel of judges including Robert Herjavec, star of ABC's Emmy Award-winning hit television show Shark Tank, three winners will be awarded a total of $100,000 in grants as well as membership to healthcare technology incubator MATTER to bring their ideas to life. The C³ Prize was announced to a group of 1,100 global leaders in cancer care gathered at the World Medical Innovation Forum organized by Partners HealthCare.

By 2030, the global cancer burden is expected to grow to 22.2 million cancer cases.^[1] Despite significant advances in cancer treatments, patients with cancer and their caregivers face significant obstacles to receiving or providing optimal care through all phases of living with cancer.

"As the number of people diagnosed with cancer rises, so does the need for innovative tools and resources to help patients and those that care for them navigate the journey from diagnosis to hopefully survivorship," said Mark Reisenauer, senior vice president, oncology sales and marketing, Astellas. "We're launching the C³ Prize because we want to hear fresh ideas and perspectives from people who want to make a difference in the lives of those living with cancer."  

The C³ Prize seeks submissions in four areas where patients living with cancer and the cancer community face the toughest obstacles along the cancer continuum: navigating the health care system, adhering to complex medical care requirements, coordinating care and surviving life post-treatment.

Five finalists will be invited to pitch their ideas in front of a live panel of judges including Herjavec at the Stanford Medicine X conference on September 17, 2016 in Stanford, California.

Grants will then be awarded to the three leading ideas – one $50,000 grant to the grand prize winner and two $25,000 grants to two additional winners. Additionally, winners will receive mentorship from Astellas and a one year membership to MATTER.

C³ Prize submissions can be made at C3Prize.com and are due by midnight Central Time on August 8, 2016. Entries will be evaluated based on plausibility of idea, creativity and originality of innovation and the ability of the entrant to operationalize/implement the innovative idea for future application.  

For more information, visit www.C3Prize.com.

About Astellas
Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceuticals. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AstellasUS or like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS.

About the World Medical Innovation Forum
The World Medical Innovation Forum is a global gathering of more than 1,000 senior health care leaders hosted by Partners HealthCare in the heart of Boston. It was established to respond to the intensifying transformation of health care and its impact on innovation. The Forum is rooted in the belief that no matter the magnitude of that change, the center of health care needs to be a shared, fundamental commitment to collaborative innovation and its ability to improve patient lives. For more information, please go to www.worldmedicalinnovation.org

About Stanford Medicine X
Stanford Medicine X is a catalyst for new ideas about the future of medicine and health care. The initiative explores how emerging technologies will advance the practice of medicine, improve health and empower patients to be active participants in their own care. The "X" is meant to encourage thinking beyond numbers and trends — it represents the infinite possibilities for current and future information technologies to improve health. For more information about MedX, visit www.medicinex.stanford.edu

About MATTER
MATTER is a community of entrepreneurs, innovators and industry leaders working together to harness technology to improve health and healthcare. MATTER connects and promotes collaboration between entrepreneurs, scientists, physicians, investors and industry leaders in order to bring next-generation products and services to market that improve quality of care and save lives. For more information, visit www.matterchicago.com

[1] Bray F, Jemal A, Grey N, Ferlay J, Forman D. Global cancer transitions according to the Human Development Index (2008-2030): a population based study. Lancet Oncol. 2012;13: 790-801.

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SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.