Biggest Medical Advances in 2023: A Look Back at the Top 7 Healthcare Breakthroughs of the Year

In 2023, healthcare and regenerative medicine continue to evolve with remarkable innovations that promise to advance patient care. Here's a look at some of the healthcare technology trends that made the most significant impact in 2023:

(Photo: Unsplash/ Ani Kolleshi)

1. Over the Counter Nasal Spray

A type of nasal spray called Narcan (naloxone) claims to reverse the effects of opioid overdose within minutes. Last March, the US Food and Drug Administration ruled that this drug can be sold over the counter. Health officials hope that easier access to Narcan can aid in the fight against the opioid epidemic, which killed almost 645,000 people from 1999 to 2021 due to overdose.

2. Protection Against RSV

Various treatment options against respiratory syncytial virus were introduced this year. In May, the FDA approved the first RSV vaccine, called Arexvy, for adults 60 years and older. This was followed by a vaccine called Abrysvo intended for pregnant women, which was approved last August.

Meanwhile, a monoclonal antibody won FDA approval for children two years and younger. It aims to protect against the virus, sending as many as 80,000 young children to hospitals annually in the US. In October, the vaccine got limited supply, which led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend reserving it for infants at highest risk for complications from RSV.

3. Treatment Against Alzheimer's Disease

In July, the FDA approved the Alzheimer's drug lecanemab (Leqembi). Just like the drug aducanumab, approved in 2021, lecanemab works by removing amyloid plaques that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. Although it does not stop the disease, it was shown to slow cognitive decline by about 30% over 18 months.

4. OTC Birth Control

Public health experts in the US argue that reducing barriers to contraception is crucial to reproductive autonomy since state bans currently have limited access to abortion. Because of this, the FDA ruled in July that the oral contraceptive norgestrel be made available without a prescription.

5. Medication for Postpartum Depression

In the US, postpartum depression used to be treated with a 60-hour intravenous infusion in a hospital. Since the FDA approval of zuranolone (Zurzuvae) in August, those who suffer from this condition can take an oral drug at home and experience improvement in as little as three days.

6. Chikungunya Vaccine

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes fever and severe joint pain and can be fatal to newborn babies. During the past 15 years, this disease has been an emerging global health threat, with at least 5 million cases of infection. In November, the vaccine Ixchiq was approved by the FDA for individuals 18 years and older at increased risk of exposure to the chikungunya virus.

7. First Gene-Editing Therapy

Before the end of the year, on December 8, the FDA approved the first CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing therapy in the world. They were also known as Casgevy, a treatment that targets sickle cell disease by helping a person produce healthy hemoglobin. By March 2024, the FDA will decide whether the same therapy can treat beta-thalassemia, a condition related to reducing hemoglobin production.