Notable 2024 Healthcare Innovations
In 2024, the healthcare industry witnessed groundbreaking innovations that redefined patient care, medical research, and technological integration. From revolutionary AI-driven diagnostic tools to advancements in personalized medicine and wearable health tech, these innovations promise to enhance accessibility, efficiency, and outcomes across the globe. As the sector adapts to post-pandemic challenges and an aging population, these notable advancements highlight the transformative power of innovation in addressing pressing healthcare needs. Here we explore some of the most impactful healthcare breakthroughs of 2024, shedding light on how they are shaping the future of medicine.
‘Inverse vaccine’ shows promise treating MS, other autoimmune diseases
Researchers at the University of Chicago completely reversed a multiple sclerosis–type autoimmune disorder in mice, using a new technique that tricked the liver into neutering a specific immune response, the team reported in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. Current treatments for autoimmune diseases suppress the entire immune system, making patients more susceptible to infections.
Scientists say they have identified a root cause of lupus
Researchers at Northwestern Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital say they’ve discovered a root cause of lupus, a disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. A study published in the journal Nature outlines a clear pathway for how the disease likely develops, pointing to abnormalities in the immune systems of people with lupus.
Study suggests approach for treating rare disorder
Researchers have been developing compounds called antisense oligonucleotides, or ASOs, to treat some rare genetic disorders. ASOs bind to small portions of RNA to affect how the RNA is processed. In a new study funded in part by NIH, a research team led by Dr. Sergiu Paşca from Stanford University tested whether ASOs could block the changes in RNA that cause Timothy syndrome.
FDA approves first cell therapy to treat aggressive forms of melanoma
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a novel type of cancer therapy to treat aggressive forms of melanoma using immune system cells from a patient’s tumor. The treatment, called Amtagvi, was developed by Iovance Biotherapeutics, a biotech company based in San Carlos, Calif.
FDA Authorizes Marketing of First Home Flu and COVID-19 Combination Test Outside of Emergency Use Authorities
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorization for the Healgen Rapid Check COVID-19/Flu A&B Antigen Test. The test, authorized for use without a prescription, is for use by individuals experiencing respiratory symptoms and uses a nasal swab sample to deliver at-home results in approximately 15 minutes for COVID-19 and influenza (flu). The test detects proteins from both SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and influenza A and B (the viruses that causes flu).
FDA Approves Drug with New Mechanism of Action for Treatment of Schizophrenia
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Cobenfy (xanomeline and trospium chloride) capsules for oral use for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. It is the first antipsychotic drug approved to treat schizophrenia that targets cholinergic receptors as opposed to dopamine receptors, which has long been the standard of care.
Vertex Announces FDA Acceptance of New Drug Application for Suzetrigine for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Acute Pain
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) submission for suzetrigine, an investigational, oral, selective NaV1.8 pain signal inhibitor to treat moderate-to-severe acute pain. Suzetrigine has the potential to be the first new class of medicine to treat acute pain in over twenty years.
New blood test shows promise in detecting 18 types of cancer
A new blood test could be used for early detection of 18 different types of cancer, a new study published in the journal BMJ Oncology reports. In developing the test, the researchers focused on the proteomeTrusted Source — the complete collection of proteins in the body.
MIT Develops AI that Predicts Lung Cancer Risk up to 6 Years in Advance, Like Finding a ‘Needle in a Haystack’
Researchers at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have developed a new AI deep learning model that can predict lung cancer risk up to six years in advance through a single low-dose CT scan.
A Blood Test for Alzheimer’s
Detecting Alzheimer’s disease remains a challenge because its early symptoms can be subtle, but it’s becoming more critical as new treatments emerge. Often by the time symptoms of memory loss and cognitive decline appear, the degenerative brain condition is more difficult to treat. AlzPath developed the first commercial blood test for ptau217 in the blood, one of the early signs of neurodegeneration, that doctors can now order through specific labs to help identify patients sooner.
Remote Pregnancy Monitoring
Nearly two in three pregnancies today are classified as high risk, often due to the health or age of the mother. Medical guidelines recommend once- or twice-weekly monitoring sessions for the last eight weeks of a high-risk pregnancy—a practical impossibility for many. Nuvo’s Invu, a wearable pregnancy monitoring device, tries to keep mom and baby safe remotely. The device, which has 12 different sensors within a band that straps around the abdomen, uses ECG and acoustic sensors to measure fetal and maternal heart rates and contraction activity
Home Checkup
Imagine a medical check-up that doesn’t require a visit to a doctor’s office. Withings’ BeamO combines four different sensors in one TV remote-looking device that can detect body temperature, listen to lungs, scan the heart, and check blood oxygen levels.
A Stand-Out Health Tracker
The FDA has only approved one medical wearable that provides continuous oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate tracking: the Masimo W1 Medical watch.
