Cleveland Clinic used the occasion of its 2014 Medical Innovation Summit last week to announce its 9th annual list of Top 10 Medical Innovations that are likely to have major impact on improving patient care in 2015. The list was selected by a panel of 110 Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists. The Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2015 are:
1. Mobile stroke unit. High-tech ambulances will bring the emergency department straight to the patient with stroke symptoms.
2. Dengue fever vaccine. The world’s first vaccine has been developed and tested and is expected to be submitted to regulatory groups in 2015, with commercialization expected before the end of the year.
3. Cost-effective, fast, painless blood testing. The new art of blood collection will use a drop of blood drawn from the fingertip in a virtually painless procedure; test results may cost as little as 10% of the traditional Medicare reimbursement.
4. PCSK9 inhibitors for cholesterol reduction. Several PCSK9 inhibitors, or injectable cholesterol lowering drugs, are in development for those who don’t benefit from statins. The FDA is expected to approve the first in 2015.
5. Antibody-drug conjugates. A promising new approach for advanced cancer selectively will deliver cytotoxic agents to tumor cells while avoiding healthy tissue.
6. Checkpoint inhibitors. Combined with traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the novel drugs will boost the immune system and offer significant, long-term cancer remissions.
7. Leadless cardiac pacemaker. Wireless cardiac pacemakers will be implanted directly in the heart without surgery and eliminate malfunction complications and restriction on daily physical activities.
8. New drugs for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Pirfenidone and nintedanib will slow the disease progress of the lethal lung disease.
9. Single-dose intra-operative radiation therapy for breast cancer. Intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) will focus the radiation on the tumor during surgery as a single dose.
10. New drug for heart failure. Angiotensin-receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) has been granted “fast-track status” by the FDA.
Learn more about the just-completed 2014 Medical Innovation Summit.
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