A
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 17th
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.

1. 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.
   
2. Inaugural
   Medication 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.

1. Therapy
   for Mitigation of 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.
   
   
   
2. 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.

1. 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.
   
   
   
2. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.  

1. 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:
http://innovations.clevelandclinic.org/Summit/Top-10-Medical-Innovations.aspx.

About
Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center 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 upon 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 in northeast Ohio, more than 180 northern Ohio outpatient locations – including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers – and locations in southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2018, there were 7.9 million total outpatient visits, 238,000 hospital admissions and observations, 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 and twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.