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dual-acting osteoporosis drug. Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.
New treatment for peanut allergies. These are some of the innovations
that will enhance healing and change healthcare in the coming year,
according to a distinguished panel of doctors and researchers.
Cleveland Clinic today announced the Top 10 Medical Innovations for
2020 at a multimedia presentation that capped off the 2019 Medical
Innovation Summit. Now in its 17
th year, the annual Medical Innovation Summit is organized by
Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the development and commercialization arm of Cleveland Clinic.
The list of up-and-coming technologies was selected by a panel of
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists, led by Michael Roizen, M.D.,
Emeritus Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic.
“Healthcare is ever changing and we anticipate that these innovations
will significantly transform the medical field and improve care for
patients at Cleveland Clinic and throughout the world,” said Dr. Roizen.
Here, in order of anticipated importance, are the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2020:
1. Dual-Acting Osteoporosis Drug
Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become weak and brittle,
effectively increasing their risk of breaking. With osteoporosis, the
loss of bone occurs silently and progressively – often without symptoms
until the first fracture. Providing more bone-strengthening power, the
recent FDA approval of a new dual-acting drug (romosozumab) is giving
patients with osteoporosis more control in preventing additional
fractures.
2. Expanded Use of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
The mitral valve allows blood flow from the heart’s left atrium to
the left ventricle. But in about 1 in 10 individuals over the age of 75,
the mitral valve is defective causing the action of regurgitation.
Expanding the approval of a minimally invasive valve repair device to a
population of patients who have failed to get symptom relief from other
therapies provides an important new treatment option.
3. Inaugural Treatment for Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy
A disheartening cardiovascular disorder, ATTR-CM is a progressive,
underdiagnosed, potentially fatal disease in which amyloid protein
fibrils deposit in, and stiffen, the walls of the heart’s left
ventricle. But a new agent to prevent misfolding of the deposited
protein is showing a significantly reduced risk of death. Following
Fast-Track and Breakthrough designations in 2017 and 2018, 2019 marked
the FDA approval of tafamidis, the first-ever medication for treatment
of this increasingly recognized condition.
4. Therapy for Peanut Allergies
It’s a terrifying reality for 2.5 percent of parents – the
possibility that at any moment, their child might be unable to breathe
due to an allergic reaction. Though emergency epinephrine has reduced
the severity and risk of accidental exposure, these innovations are not
enough to quell the ever-present anxiety. But development of a new oral
immunotherapy medication to gradually build tolerance to peanut exposure
holds the opportunity to lend protection against attack.
5. Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation
Chronic pain is a terribly frustrating condition, and a large reason
for prescription of opioid medication. Spinal cord stimulation is a
popular treatment for chronic pain through which an implantable device
provides electrical stimulus to the spinal cord. But unsatisfactory
outcomes due to subtherapeutic or overstimulation events are common.
Closed-loop stimulation is allowing for better communication between the
device and the spinal cord providing more optimal stimulation and
relief of pain.
6. Biologics in Orthopaedic Repair
After orthopaedic surgery, the body can take anywhere from months to
years to recover. But biologics – cells, blood components, growth
factors, and other natural substances – have the power to replace or
harness the body’s own power and promote healing. These elements are
finding their way into orthopaedic care, allowing for the possibility of
expedited improved outcomes.
7. Antibiotic Envelope for Cardiac Implantable Device Infection Prevention
Worldwide, roughly 1.5 million patients receive an implantable
cardiac electronic device every year. In these patients, infection
remains a major, potentially life-threatening complication.
Antibiotic-embedded envelopes are now made to encase these cardiac
devices, effectively preventing infection.
8. Bempedoic Acid for Cholesterol Lowering in Statin Intolerant Patients
High cholesterol is a major concern for nearly 40 percent of adults
in the U.S. Left untreated, the condition could lead to serious health
problems like heart attack and stroke. Though typically managed with
statins, some individuals experience unacceptable muscle pain with
statins. Bempedoic acid provides an alternative approach to lowering of
LDL-cholesterol while avoiding these side effects.
9. PARP Inhibitors for Maintenance Therapy in Ovarian Cancer
PARP, or poly-ADP ribose polymerase, inhibitors block repair of
damaged DNA in tumor cells which increases cell death, especially in
tumors with deficient repair mechanisms. One of the most recent
important advances ovarian cancer treatment, PARP inhibitors have
improved progression-free survival and are now being approved for
first-line maintenance therapy in advanced stage disease. Several
additional large-scale trials are underway with PARP inhibitors set to
make great strides in improving outcomes in cancer therapy.
10. Drugs for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) – also known
as diastolic heart failure – is the condition in which the ventricular
heart muscles contract normally, but do not relax as they should. With
preserved ejection fraction, the heart is unable to properly fill with
blood – leaving less available to be pumped out to the body. Currently,
recommendations for this treatment are directed at accompanying
conditions and mere symptom relief. But SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of
medications used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, is now being
explored in HFpEF – alluding to a potential new treatment option.
For more information on the annual Top 10 Medical Innovations
including descriptions, videos, and year-by-year comparisons visit:
https://innovations.clevelandclinic.org/Summit/Top-10-Medical-Innovations
