TIME's 2023 Best Inventions: 10 Medical Devices and 5 Pharmaceuticals Make the List

Top 10 Medical Devices

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In the healthcare sector, a total of 15 products made the list, including 10 medical devices and 5 pharmaceuticals. Among them, the 10 medical devices are as follows:CisionVision InVision、Abbott Aveir DR Dual Chamber Leadless Pacemaker System、Luminopia、Vibrant System、MicroTransponder Vivistim Paired VNS System、Thermo Fisher Scientific Preeclampsia Blood Tests、Ember Cube、SurgiBox SurgiField、Targeted Real-Time Early Warning System、iLet Bionic Pancreas。

InVision Imaging System

Cision Vision's InVision Real-Time Imaging System Assists Pathologists and Resident Doctors in Gross Examination of Tissue Samples to Locate and Identify Lymph Nodes. The system uses short-wave infrared technology to display the contrast between lymph nodes and surrounding fatty tissue, improving the efficiency and accuracy of lymph node examination in laboratories.

Abbott Aveir DR Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemaker System

Leadless pacemakers have become a new development trend in the field of pacemakers.

In July this year, Abbott announced that the AVEIR™ DR Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemaker System received FDA approval. This product is used to treat arrhythmia or bradycardia and is the world's first true dual-chamber leadless pacing system with devices implanted separately in the right atrium and right ventricle. At this year’s CIIE, Abbott also showcased this product.

Luminopia Digital Therapy for Amblyopia in Children

In October 2021, Luminopia One received FDA approval via the De Novo pathway, becoming the first FDA-approved treatment for binocular amblyopia in children aged 4-7. Luminopia, a software-based digital therapy, needs to be used with a commercially available head-mounted display (HMD) compatible with the software application.

Vibrant System for Treating Constipation

Vitality Gastro's Vibrant System is a prescription non-drug capsule that offers a new method for relieving constipation. Traditional constipation medications often cause side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, and headaches. Clinical trials have shown that Vibrant can alleviate constipation with a low incidence of diarrhea (1.2%).

Vivistim Paired VNS System

MicroTransponder Inc.'s Vivistim system is a chest implant that helps chronic ischemic stroke survivors regain movement in their arms and hands by stimulating the nearby vagus nerve.

Studies have shown that, compared to traditional rehabilitation alone, Vivistim can enhance hand and arm function by 2-3 times.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Preeclampsia Blood Test

For more than a century, there has been no significant progress in the diagnosis of preeclampsia.In May this year, the FDA approved two tests developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific.These two tests, based on the concentration of certain biomarkers in the patient's blood, can quickly predict whether pregnant women hospitalized for hypertension will develop severe preeclampsia within the next two weeks, helping to decide whether to arrange for early hospitalization for monitoring or to induce labor sooner.

Ember Cube Medical Transport Box

Ember Cube is a reusable transport box equipped with built-in sensors that can track the temperature of medical liquids and adjust settings accordingly using the company's proprietary cooling system. This year, the Boston Marathon used the Cube to transport blood samples to Utah for drug testing, a trial that led to a partnership between Ember and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

SurgiBox SurgiField Portable Operating Room

SurgiBox's SurgiField System Provides Portable Sterile Surgical Environment, Isolating the Surgical Site from the Surrounding Environment with a Physical Barrier. The system consists of three parts: the disposable SurgiBubble, a Smart Control Module (SCM) equipped with an electric air pump, and a battery. The entire device weighs less than 5 kilograms and is compact enough to fit into a standard backpack.

Targeted Real-Time Early Warning System for Sepsis

Targeted Real-Time Early Warning System Developed by Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Bayesian Health Uses Artificial Intelligence to Analyze Patients' Medical Records, Symptoms, and Laboratory Results, Alerting Clinicians to Potential Sepsis Cases. The Sensitivity of Typical Early Warning Systems is About 20%-30%, While the Above System Can Capture 82%.

iLet Bionic Pancreas

In the United States, nearly 7.5 million adults use insulin, but choosing the correct dosage is difficult. The iLet by Beta Bionics is the first and only automated insulin delivery system that does not require carbohydrate counting and can automatically calculate and inject insulin.

The 5 Drugs on the List

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In 2023, the five drugs selected by TIME magazine are: Arexvy, Zurzuvae, Tzield, Leqembi, and Semaglutide.

01 The World's First Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Arexvy

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a respiratory virus that particularly affects infants and young children.

RSV usually causes mild symptoms, but for some people, it can be fatal: For infants, especially premature babies or children with weakened immune systems, as well as elderly individuals and adults with compromised immune systems, RSV infection may lead to more severe respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

Therefore, RSV has drawn medical attention, especially in hospital settings where high-risk groups are prone to respiratory infections. Before the launch of the Arexvy vaccine, there were no effective antiviral drugs available for treating RSV infections, with symptomatic treatment and supportive care being the primary approaches.

In May this year, the FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline's Arexvy for the treatment of adults aged 60 and above, followed by the approval of Pfizer's Abrysvo for the same age group.

Arexvy is the first vaccine approved by the FDA for the prevention of lung and lower respiratory tract infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in individuals aged 60 years and older. Arexvy enhances the body's defense against RSV, specifically designed to stimulate an immune response to protect individuals aged 60 years and older from RSV infection.

The launch of Arexvy has pioneered the use of vaccines against RSV, marking a milestone. In August this year, the FDA approved Pfizer's Abrysvo vaccine for pregnant women to protect newborns from RSV infection. As for those mothers who have not been vaccinated, their children under two years old can now benefit from Sanofi’s Beyfortus. This is a one-time injectable antibody therapy that received FDA approval in July this year.

02 Adult Postpartum Depression Drug Zurzuvae

FDA Approves Sage Therapeutics' Zurzuvae (zuranolone) on August 4 This Year: The First Oral Medication for Treating Postpartum Depression (PPD) in Adults.

Postpartum depression is a serious depressive episode that typically occurs after childbirth. This condition is different from the general emotional fluctuations after childbirth, presenting instead as deeper emotional and psychological issues. Prior to the approval of Zurzuvae, the treatment for postpartum depression could only be administered by medical institutions through intravenous drug delivery.

The efficacy of Zurzuvae in treating adult PPD has been demonstrated in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter studies. Women can take the medication daily for 14 days to alleviate postpartum depression. Zurzuvae can begin improving patients' moods within just three days. It also significantly enhances patient compliance. Previously, the only approved treatment for postpartum depression was an intravenous drug that required women to undergo treatment for over 60 hours in a hospital-like setting.

Experts say that this fast-acting oral medication can alleviate some of the downstream effects of childbirth, particularly the impact on the bond between mother and baby.

03 The First Drug to Delay Diabetes: Tzield

Insulin is a conventional treatment for Type 1 diabetes patients, but it cannot cure the disease. Teplizumab (Tzield), a monoclonal antibody drug developed by Provention Bio and Sanofi, may bring people closer to this goal. By injecting Tzield daily for 14 days, patients can prevent immune cells from attacking insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells.

Tzield is used to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes, the stage where the patient's body cannot produce enough insulin on its own and requires insulin injections. Tzield is suitable for adults with stage 2 type 1 diabetes and children aged 8 years and above.

Tzield is extremely expensive (the list price for a 14-day course is approximately $193,000), but it is the first treatment to address the actual cause of type 1 diabetes. In a study, people on the verge of developing type 1 diabetes who received the drug had twice as much time before developing diabetes compared to those who received a placebo.

04 New Alzheimer's Drug Leqembi

Eisai and Biogen's Lecanemab (Leqembi) is an intravenous antibody therapy that targets and clears beta-amyloid protein in the brain. Leqembi was approved by the FDA on January 6, 2023, for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease, including patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (with confirmed elevated levels of beta-amyloid in the brain).

Leqembi can reduce beta-amyloid in the brain and decrease cognitive and functional decline in patients with early Alzheimer's disease. Leqembi is the second FDA-approved drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease and may be the most effective one. The annual cost of Leqembi is approximately $26,500.

FDA Approval of Leqembi Marks a Significant Step Forward in Alzheimer's Treatment

05 Weight Loss Wonder Drug Semaglutide

One of the most prominent drugs in 2023 is undoubtedly Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 peptide drug semaglutide, with its branded products Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus bringing significant sales revenue to Novo Nordisk. It has not only demonstrated excellent efficacy in the fields of type 2 diabetes and obesity but has also achieved breakthroughs in clinical research related to cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). (Translational Medicine Network 360zhyx.com)

References:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzAxNjI5NzI4MA==&chksm=9bf48257ac830b419c3b5d2b8653b06a11ca4a250034e9550c80567772c3b4d674e1d9ebe98f&idx=1&mid=2247548536&sn=d58e840a274f7f2fe2193a9a2154b664

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4E-tlJHYCove8unPSTbS_g

Note: This article aims to introduce the progress of medical research and cannot be used as a reference for treatment plans. For health guidance, please visit a regular hospital.