EssilorLuxxotica released a new type of eyeglass lens, branded Stellest, which is supposed to slow down the development of nearsightedness in children. It was approved by the FDA this year and is now in local optometrist offices; it has apparently been used in China for a few years. The study which claimed to slow myopia by 50% or more was done by the manufacturer, and is still being followed up, but it’s looking hopeful at the moment.
Outstanding roundup of what's actually happenng in medicine right now. The baby KJ case really shows how far we've come with personalzied CRISPR therapy in just months, not years. I've been following gene editing for a while but dunno if most people realize these treatments are hitting patients already, not stuck in theory.
This is the first post of yours I’ve every read and I am THRILLED. I’m a retired cybersecurity exec with a daughter who is a PhD working in biotech, so I try hard to keep up on the world of scientific discoveries and advances, despite the difficulty of having to basically learn a new language (or at least a new vocabulary). Your writing is so clear and accessible; I really appreciate that.
Thank you so much for saying so, that's really the goal of my writing - making it easy for people from other fields to understand. And I hope you enjoy my other writing too :)
Thank you for such a comprehensive and engaging roundup of medical breakthroughs in 2025! From a clinical perspective, it’s exciting to see advances that not only push the boundaries of science, but also have real potential to meaningfully improve patient outcomes and healthspan.
What stands out most is how many of these breakthroughs reflect a shift in paradigm, from treating disease after it occurs, to anticipating, preventing, and even reversing underlying pathophysiology. Whether it’s precision immunotherapy, early metabolic interventions, or innovative approaches to regenerative medicine, the common theme is a move toward proactive and personalized care.
In practice, we see how incremental gains in understanding translate into significant real-world impact. For example, refining risk stratification tools or metabolic modulation strategies often means the difference between delayed progression and durable remission for patients. Equally important is that many of these emerging therapies are grounded in mechanistic insights that respect the complexity of human biology rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions.
I also appreciate that several of the developments you highlight address equity and accessibility, both of which are essential if breakthroughs are to benefit the broadest possible population. High-impact science must be paired with thoughtful implementation, especially in diverse clinical settings where resources and patient needs vary widely. Thank you for advancing the conversation in such a thoughtful way!
Many thanks for this great post; it would be great if more people could be made aware of the ongoing, remarkable advances that have been made, and are continuing to be made in medicine - from recently approved new treatments for serious conditions to potential breakthroughs in basic research.
One quibble with your list of significant medical advances in 2025: I don’t think suzetrigine will prove to be a particularly useful drug, let alone a significant advance in the treatment of pain. Best case: for acute post-surgical pain, effects in clinical trials have been inconsistent across types of surgery, the scale used as the approval endpoint is (imo) of questionable clinical relevance, and even in the “positive” abdominal surgery trial it was comparably effective to NSAIDs or opiates, only when compared to suboptimal doses of the latter. Also, there is a potential safety signal re. kidney function that bears watching. Most importantly, there is no evidence that suzetrigine has any impact at all on chronic pain, which is where the medical need is greatest.
Also thank you for your important endnote: we should indeed do everything we can to reverse recent decisions scaling back PEPFAR and other US aide programs that have demonstrably saved lives and greatly improved health in impoverished nations.
Another good story is that Australia is making significant strides towards becoming the first country to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, driven by effective HPV vaccination and screening programs!
Thanks for this nice roundup, Saloni. Regarding the turbulent times for science and your reference to Joseph Lister, it reminds me of Ignaz Semmelweis who just a few decades prior to Lister was institutionalized for his views on germ theory and hand washing. The medical community was entrenched in miasma theory at the time. Sometimes it can take a period of irrationality before more grounded opinions prevail.
As a minor note, I'd also like to point out that orforglipron has a pretty complex synthesis process (requiring 16-28 steps) and requires notably demanding stereocontrol and impurity checks, thus limiting some of the small molecule economic and access upside. However, many other oral incretin therapies with simpler manufacturing processes are slated for Phase 2/3 in 2026 so the nuance is not a big deal.
Hi Saloni, awesome post thanks for all you do. One small note in the books section - I believe it’s Paul Offit instead of Peter. My wife works at CDC and we listened to that for her book club and really enjoyed it
Thank you for highlighting so many bright stars in these dark nights of antiscientism and paranoid conspiracies
I'm retired (hematology, immunology) but amazed at how much progress against seemingly intractable diseases jas been made since the 1970s when my career started:
• Effective antivirals, turning AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable lifetime condition
• Understanding HUS & TTP at molecular level, allowing effective treatment with monoclonals in some defined subtypes
• Potential 'one and done' cures for sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and many other single gene defects
• Credible explanation of prion disease mechanisms; recognition of many prion diseases other than CJD (Stanley Prusiner's 'Memory & Madness' is perhaps the best science book I've read in the past 50 years)
• mRNA covid vaccines in 12/12! And the mRNA vaccine platform
I'm sure there's more I've forgotten, but there's plenty to be optimistic about in modern medicine. Thank you for such illuminating essays, please keep up your excellent work!
A significant breakthrough in treating Huntington’s disease has been achieved with a gene therapy called AMT-130, developed by uniQure. It showed a 75% slower progression of the disease. I think that was announced in September
EssilorLuxxotica released a new type of eyeglass lens, branded Stellest, which is supposed to slow down the development of nearsightedness in children. It was approved by the FDA this year and is now in local optometrist offices; it has apparently been used in China for a few years. The study which claimed to slow myopia by 50% or more was done by the manufacturer, and is still being followed up, but it’s looking hopeful at the moment.
https://apnews.com/article/essilor-stellest-glasses-myopia-nearsightedness-c1c04fd52a022860a5654b21e4f68179
Wow! I inherited myopia from my mother and started wearing glasses at 8. I wish this existed back then
I have heard that new intra-ocular lenses are in development and some of them have better range of vision than human eyes.
Thank you so much. That's awesome! Just did my end of year donation yesterday as well :)
Thank you so much, Saloni. May 2026 be a better year for science.
Great work — appreciate you highlighting the work of so many talented researchers. And I know a lot of work went into this..keep them coming!
Outstanding roundup of what's actually happenng in medicine right now. The baby KJ case really shows how far we've come with personalzied CRISPR therapy in just months, not years. I've been following gene editing for a while but dunno if most people realize these treatments are hitting patients already, not stuck in theory.
This is the first post of yours I’ve every read and I am THRILLED. I’m a retired cybersecurity exec with a daughter who is a PhD working in biotech, so I try hard to keep up on the world of scientific discoveries and advances, despite the difficulty of having to basically learn a new language (or at least a new vocabulary). Your writing is so clear and accessible; I really appreciate that.
Thank you so much for saying so, that's really the goal of my writing - making it easy for people from other fields to understand. And I hope you enjoy my other writing too :)
We shall soon find out!
Amazing body of work. Great overview and I’m a big fan of highlighting the progress over decades.
Thank you for such a comprehensive and engaging roundup of medical breakthroughs in 2025! From a clinical perspective, it’s exciting to see advances that not only push the boundaries of science, but also have real potential to meaningfully improve patient outcomes and healthspan.
What stands out most is how many of these breakthroughs reflect a shift in paradigm, from treating disease after it occurs, to anticipating, preventing, and even reversing underlying pathophysiology. Whether it’s precision immunotherapy, early metabolic interventions, or innovative approaches to regenerative medicine, the common theme is a move toward proactive and personalized care.
In practice, we see how incremental gains in understanding translate into significant real-world impact. For example, refining risk stratification tools or metabolic modulation strategies often means the difference between delayed progression and durable remission for patients. Equally important is that many of these emerging therapies are grounded in mechanistic insights that respect the complexity of human biology rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions.
I also appreciate that several of the developments you highlight address equity and accessibility, both of which are essential if breakthroughs are to benefit the broadest possible population. High-impact science must be paired with thoughtful implementation, especially in diverse clinical settings where resources and patient needs vary widely. Thank you for advancing the conversation in such a thoughtful way!
Many thanks for this great post; it would be great if more people could be made aware of the ongoing, remarkable advances that have been made, and are continuing to be made in medicine - from recently approved new treatments for serious conditions to potential breakthroughs in basic research.
One quibble with your list of significant medical advances in 2025: I don’t think suzetrigine will prove to be a particularly useful drug, let alone a significant advance in the treatment of pain. Best case: for acute post-surgical pain, effects in clinical trials have been inconsistent across types of surgery, the scale used as the approval endpoint is (imo) of questionable clinical relevance, and even in the “positive” abdominal surgery trial it was comparably effective to NSAIDs or opiates, only when compared to suboptimal doses of the latter. Also, there is a potential safety signal re. kidney function that bears watching. Most importantly, there is no evidence that suzetrigine has any impact at all on chronic pain, which is where the medical need is greatest.
Also thank you for your important endnote: we should indeed do everything we can to reverse recent decisions scaling back PEPFAR and other US aide programs that have demonstrably saved lives and greatly improved health in impoverished nations.
Another good story is that Australia is making significant strides towards becoming the first country to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, driven by effective HPV vaccination and screening programs!
So impressed with the information and the thoughtfulness. All the best.
Thanks for this nice roundup, Saloni. Regarding the turbulent times for science and your reference to Joseph Lister, it reminds me of Ignaz Semmelweis who just a few decades prior to Lister was institutionalized for his views on germ theory and hand washing. The medical community was entrenched in miasma theory at the time. Sometimes it can take a period of irrationality before more grounded opinions prevail.
As a minor note, I'd also like to point out that orforglipron has a pretty complex synthesis process (requiring 16-28 steps) and requires notably demanding stereocontrol and impurity checks, thus limiting some of the small molecule economic and access upside. However, many other oral incretin therapies with simpler manufacturing processes are slated for Phase 2/3 in 2026 so the nuance is not a big deal.
Happy New Year. I really enjoy your writing, and thanks for slogging through a tough year.
I have just donated $9,000 to malaria prevention.
https://www.againstmalaria.com/MyNets.aspx?DonationID=1469428
Hi Saloni, awesome post thanks for all you do. One small note in the books section - I believe it’s Paul Offit instead of Peter. My wife works at CDC and we listened to that for her book club and really enjoyed it
Ah! I don't know how I mixed that up, since I have the book right here with me now hah. Thank you! :)
Thank you for highlighting so many bright stars in these dark nights of antiscientism and paranoid conspiracies
I'm retired (hematology, immunology) but amazed at how much progress against seemingly intractable diseases jas been made since the 1970s when my career started:
• Effective antivirals, turning AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable lifetime condition
• Understanding HUS & TTP at molecular level, allowing effective treatment with monoclonals in some defined subtypes
• Potential 'one and done' cures for sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and many other single gene defects
• Credible explanation of prion disease mechanisms; recognition of many prion diseases other than CJD (Stanley Prusiner's 'Memory & Madness' is perhaps the best science book I've read in the past 50 years)
• mRNA covid vaccines in 12/12! And the mRNA vaccine platform
I'm sure there's more I've forgotten, but there's plenty to be optimistic about in modern medicine. Thank you for such illuminating essays, please keep up your excellent work!
A significant breakthrough in treating Huntington’s disease has been achieved with a gene therapy called AMT-130, developed by uniQure. It showed a 75% slower progression of the disease. I think that was announced in September