Cleveland Clinic unveils Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2020

A panel of renowned doctors and researchers presents the medical advances that could transform healthcare in the coming year.

Cleveland: This year’s standout innovations include a dual-action osteoporosis drug, minimally invasive mitral valve surgery and a new treatment for peanut allergies. These advances will improve 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 in a multimedia presentation that concluded the 2019 Medical Innovation Summit. Now in its 17th year, the annual Medical Innovation Summit is hosted by Cleveland Clinic Innovations, Cleveland Clinic’s development and commercialisation arm.

The list of emerging technologies was selected by a panel of Cleveland Clinic doctors and scientists, led by Michael Roizen, M.D., Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus at Cleveland Clinic.

“Healthcare is constantly changing and we anticipate that these innovations will significantly transform the medical field and improve patient care at Cleveland Clinic and around the world,” said Dr Roizen.

Below, in order of anticipated importance, are the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2020:

1. Dual-action osteoporosis drug

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become weak and brittle, increasing the risk of fracture. With osteoporosis, bone loss happens silently and progressively, often without symptoms until the first fracture. By providing more power to strengthen bones, the recent FDA approval of a new dual-action drug (romosozumab) is giving osteoporosis patients more control to prevent potential fractures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0qP1wPDPZw

2. Expanded use of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery
   The mitral valve allows blood to flow from the heart’s left atrium into the left ventricle. But in roughly 1 in 10 people over the age of 75, the mitral valve is faulty and causes regurgitation. Expanding approval of a minimally invasive valve repair device to a patient population whose symptoms have not been relieved by other therapies provides an important new treatment option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53IVB5WYqLE

3. First drug for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy

ATTR-CM, a daunting cardiovascular disorder, is a progressive, underdiagnosed and potentially fatal disease in which amyloid protein fibrils are deposited in the walls of the heart’s left ventricle and stiffen them. But a new agent that prevents the deposited protein from misfolding shows a considerably lower risk of death. Following the Fast Track and Breakthrough designations granted in 2017 and 2018, 2019 saw the FDA approval of tafamidis, the first drug to treat this increasingly recognised condition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWICeBMTh7c

4. Therapy to mitigate peanut allergies
   It is a frightening reality for 2.5 per cent of parents: the possibility that at any moment their child may be unable to breathe because of an allergic reaction. Although emergency epinephrine has reduced the severity and risk of accidental exposure, these innovations are not enough to ease the ever-present anxiety. But the development of a new oral immunotherapy drug that gradually builds tolerance to peanut exposure offers the opportunity to provide protection against an attack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsRm4zKnV0U

5. Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation (closed-loop stimulation of the spinal cord)

Chronic pain is a terribly frustrating condition and a major reason for the prescription of opioid drugs. Spinal cord stimulation is a popular treatment for chronic pain, in which an implantable device delivers an electrical stimulus to the spinal cord. But unsatisfactory results due to under-stimulation or over-stimulation are common. Closed-loop stimulation allows better communication between the device and the spinal cord, providing better stimulation and pain relief.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f4pF5U-AXE

6. Biologics in orthopaedic repair
   After orthopaedic surgery, the body can take months or even 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 making their way into orthopaedic care, opening up the possibility of better and faster outcomes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoCaeSlbS-E

7. Antibiotic envelopes to prevent infection in implantable cardiac devices

Worldwide, approximately 1.5 million patients receive an implantable cardiac electronic device each year. In these patients, infection remains a major and potentially fatal complication. Antibiotic-eluting envelopes are now made to encase these cardiac devices, effectively preventing infection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWWyFKbs01M

8. Bempedoic acid for lowering cholesterol in statin-intolerant patients

High cholesterol is a major concern for almost 40 per cent of adults in the US. Left untreated, the condition can lead to serious health problems such as heart attack and stroke. Although it is usually managed with statins, some people experience unacceptable muscle pain with statins. Bempedoic acid provides an alternative way to lower LDL cholesterol while avoiding these side effects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MELUiBq-ENc

9. PARP inhibitors for maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer

PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase) inhibitors block the repair of damaged DNA in tumour cells, increasing cell death, especially in tumours with deficient repair mechanisms. One of the most important recent advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer, PARP inhibitors have improved progression-free survival and are now being approved for first-line maintenance therapy in advanced disease. Several additional large-scale trials with established PARP inhibitors are under way to make great strides in improving cancer therapy outcomes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSvMO_OX9LU

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 heart’s ventricular muscles contract normally but do not relax as they should. With preserved ejection fraction, the heart cannot fill properly with blood, leaving less available to pump out to the body. Current treatment recommendations target accompanying conditions and symptom relief. But SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes, are now being explored in HFpEF, pointing to a possible new treatment option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9imKVCZd-4

For more information on the annual Top 10 Medical Innovations list, including descriptions, videos and year-by-year comparisons, visit: http://innovations.clevelandclinic.org/Summit/Top-10-Medical-Innovations.aspx.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical centre that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based on the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 66,000 employees are more than 4,200 salaried physicians and researchers and 16,600 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic’s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals, more than 180 outpatient locations in northern Ohio – including 18 full-service family health centres and three health and wellness centres – and facilities in Weston, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2018, there were 7.9 million outpatient visits, 238,000 hospital admissions and 220,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CCforMedia. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.