Dive Brief:
- Cleveland Clinic released its list of the top 10 medical innovations that will upend healthcare in 2018.
- Topping the list is the hybrid closed-loop delivery system, also known as the artificial pancreas.
- The Clinic announced the winners Wednesday during the 2017 Medical Innovation Summit in Cleveland.
Dive Insight:
A panel of nearly 100 Cleveland Clinic doctors and scientist selected the 10 innovations from more than 150 nominations.
Among the innovations, which are ranked according to their anticipated impact, are: implants that stimulate airway muscles to treat sleep apnea, much the way a pacemaker regulates the heart; gene therapy for inherited retinal diseases; new drug combinations that reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol by up to 75%; remote monitoring devices that extend healthcare into the patient’s home; and next-generation vaccine platforms that support rapid development and delivery of vaccines.
One such innovation, due out next year, is a Band-Aid-sized flu vaccine patch, the Clinic notes. Companies are also perfecting mechanisms for freeze drying vaccines to ensure shelf-life throughout shipment to remote locations.
The FDA approved the first artificial pancreas, Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G hybrid closed-loop system, in September 2016. The automated insulin delivery system, intended for patients with type 1 diabetes, measures glucose levels every five minutes and adjusts insulin levels up or down as needed. Cleveland Clinic cites expectations the innovation will lead to a similar product for type 2 diabetes patients.
Also on the list is new targeted therapies for breast cancer, such as PARP inhibitors for patients with BRCA 1 or BRCA2 mutations and CD K 4/6 inhibitors for ER-positive/HER-2-negative breast cancer. The panel also highlighted new post-surgical protocols that speed recovery, centralized monitoring of patients to combat “alarm fatigue” and reduce negative inpatient events and a scalp-cooling technology that reduces hair loss during chemotherapy.