Advances in Treatments

Advances in Treatments: As reported by the Cleveland Clinic


Led by Michael Roizen, M.D., Emeritus Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic, a panel of physicians and scientists have selected, in order of anticipated importance, the top new innovations healthcare providers can expect to see by 2020.

1. Dual-Acting Osteoporosis Drug
Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become brittle and increase the risk of breaking often without symptoms until the first fracture. But recent Food and Drug Administration approval of a new dual-acting drug called Romosozumab could offer more control in preventing more fractures.

2. Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
The Mitral valve allows blood flow from the heart's left atrium to the left ventricle. However, for some patients older than 75 years the value may be defective and result in regurgitation. Expanded approval of a minimally invasive valve repair device for patients who don't experience improved symptoms could be a new treatment option.

3. Inaugural Treatment of Transthyretin Amyloid (ATTR-CM)

Cleveland Clinic physicians view ATTR-CM as a disheartening progressive, underdiagnosed and potentially fatal disease. Amyloid protein fibrils deposit in, and stiffen the walls of the heart's left ventricle. But there is a new agent to prevent misfolding of the deposited protein that shows a significant reduced risk of death. Three fast-track FDA approvals in three years now have led to the first-ever medication for this condition.

4. Therapy for Peanut Allergies.
There may be new hope for children with severe peanut allergy, a condition that not only is potentially fatal but also can cause much anxiety for both children and parents alike.

This week, 2 new studies discuss research findings on the use of oral immunotherapy in children with peanut allergies, which affects up to 1.4% of children in high-income countries. Oral immunotherapy involves having individuals with an allergy to a substance ingest a tiny amount of that substance under close clinical monitoring, and gradually increasing this exposure over an extended period of time. The goal is to eventually reach a point where the body can tolerate a reasonable amount of the substance without a severe allergic reaction, at which point the individual is deemed “desensitized.”

Peanut Allergy

Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation

This treatment uses an implantable device that sends an electrical stimulus to the spinal cord for the relief of chronic pain. Unfortunately, unsatisfactory outcomes from subtherapeutic or over-stimulation events are common. Closed-loop stimulation can enable improved communication between the device and the spinal cord, giving optimum stimulation and pain relief.

6. Biologics in Orthopaedic Repair

When patients have orthopedic surgery, their bodies can take a considerable amount of time to recover, sometimes for years. Use of biologics that include cells, blood components, growth factors and additional natural substances can harness the body's own power and promote healing, and these substances are finding their way into orthopedic care to expedite improved outcomes.

7. Antibiotic Envelope for Cardiac Implantable Infection Prevention

Each year about 1.5 million patients get an implantable cardiac electronic device. Yet, infection remains a real danger. Available now are antibiotic envelopes to encase the cardiac devices and prevent infection.

8. Bempedoic Acid for Cholesterol Lowering in Statin Intolerant Patients
While typically managed by statins, some patients experience unacceptable muscle pain with statins. The use of Bempedoic acid can provide an alternative approach to lowering LDL-cholesterol and avoid 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 important advances in ovarian cancer, PARP inhibitors have improved progression-free survival and are now being approved for first-line maintenance therapy in advanced-stage disease.

10. Drugs for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

This is a condition in which the ventricular heart muscles contract normally, but do not relax as they should. With preserved ejection fraction, the heart does not properly fill with blood, leaving less blood being pumped out into the body. Current recommendations merely cover symptom relief. Now, SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of medications in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, are being looked at as a new treatment option.

Source:  Health Data Management