Gatekeeper Innovation Inc Named QuickFire Challenge Awardee

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Innovation named Gatekeeper Innovation Inc. the awardee in the Pill Protect QuickFire Challenge: Designing for Medication Safety.

Every hour, 5 U.S. children under age 6 are rushed to emergency departments for medication poisonings, many due to unsafe storage practices. Pill minders pose a particular problem; more than half of the time when children get into prescription pills, the medication had already been removed from the child-resistant container by an adult.

To inspire innovators to tackle this safety risk, Johnson & Johnson Innovation together with Johnson & Johnson's Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Scientific Education and Patient Advocacy, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PROTECT Initiative, introduced the Pill Protect QuickFire Challenge: Designing for Medication Safety.

Gatekeeper answered the call with two redesigned child-resistant pill minders for potentially safer medication storage in the home. Gatekeeper's Rx Locking pill minder design aims to prevent accidental medicine poisoning in children six and under.

"We're honored and excited that Johnson & Johnson Innovation selected Gatekeeper's Rx Locking pill minder design from a competitive pool of submittals," said Kevin Kane, Gatekeeper's CEO. "Two-thirds of teens who misused pain relievers in the past year say that they got them from family and friends, including their home's medicine cabinets. This new addition to Gatekeeper's diversion portfolio demonstrates our commitment to providing safe storage devices."

As an awardee of the challenge, Gatekeeper has received $100,000 in grant funding, access to the global Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS network, and mentorship from experts across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.

About Gatekeeper Innovation Inc: Gatekeeper is a Sacramento-based manufacturing and technology company offering tamper-evident, abuse-deterrent solutions while supporting medication adherence. Gatekeeper's covered benefit program provided by health insurance plans supports existing pharmacy fulfillment processes without disruption. For more information about Gatekeeper, please visit: www.gatekeeperinnovation.com

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SOURCE Gatekeeper Innovation Inc