Alliance and Partnerships for Patient Innovation and Solutions (APPIS) Initiative announces winners of inaugural Innovator Program

• The APPIS Innovator Program enables patient organizations across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMA) to grow and scale existing patient programs. Winners receive financial support, networking opportunities, coaching and mentorship.
• ICanServe Foundation and Psoriasis Philippines have been named the inaugural APPIS Innovator Program winners – selected out of 23 applications from 11 countries and territories across APMA.
• The two winners were selected by an expert panel with applications judged on impact, innovation, sustainability, scalability, under two categories – ‘Patient Education’ and ‘Health Policy Shaping.’

Singapore, August 15, 2022 – The APPIS Initiative, organized and funded by Novartis APMA, today announced ICanServe Foundation and Psoriasis Philippines as winners of the 2022 APPIS Innovator Program.

The two winners will receive support to help them scale and improve their existing programs in the form of mentoring, networking opportunities, funding, and coaching.

The APPIS Initiative launched the Innovator Program this year with the aim of supporting patient organizations that have found innovative ways to elevate and amplify patient voices. The Innovator Program partners with patient organizations to take their programs to the next level, to improve outcomes for healthcare consumers.

Twenty-three patient organizations entered under the categories of ‘Patient Education’ and ‘Health Policy Shaping’, representing 11 countries and territories from across APMA.

An esteemed expert panel of judges, consisting of Mei Ching Ong, Region Head for Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia from The Max Foundation, Professor John C W Lim, Executive Director of the Duke-NUS Centre of Regulatory Excellence (CoRE), Singapore and Tiantian (Stanley) Li, Chairman and Founder of DXY (the largest physician social network in China) selected the winners from a shortlist of five finalists based on their impact, innovation, sustainability and scalability.

The ICanServe Foundation, an advocacy organization for breast cancer, and Psoriasis Philippines, which advocates for people living with psoriasis, were announced as the inaugural winners – ahead of three other finalists from Egypt and India.

Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, Founding President of ICanServe Foundation said, “We have always wanted to build a data and digital infrastructure that would allow us to measure the effectiveness of our programs and to make data-driven decisions. Finding partners that believe in our mission, like the APPIS Innovator Program, will enable us to take our breast cancer control programs in local government to the next level and to scale.”

Paul Mendoza, President of Psoriasis Philippines, and lead of ‘Weekends with PsorPhil’ commented, “I believe that patient organizations can do much more than provide patient support. We are also key players in improving patient education and health literacy. With the support of APPIS, Novartis, and our network of patient organizations and health alliances, Psoriasis Philippines will expand the ‘Weekends with PsorPhil’ online program to a more inclusive show entitled ‘Wellness Weekends Philippines’, which will cover other diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease.”

Ruth Kuguru, Executive Director, Communications & Engagement, Novartis Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said, “We are proud to support the Alliance and Partnerships of Patient Innovation and Solutions (APPIS) initiative and work alongside this year’s APPIS Innovator Program winners to help them fulfill their ambitions. Novartis recognizes the integral role that patient organizations play in the healthcare system. We remain steadfast in our commitment to support and collaborate with patient organizations across the world to improve and extend patients’ lives in the communities that we serve.”

In addition to ICanServe Foundation and Psoriasis Philippines, the other three APPIS Innovator Program finalists include Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation (India), Stroke Support Alliance (India) and the Egyptian Society of Hematology and Research (Egypt).