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From the cancellation of a massive alcohol study to the dissolution of Theranos, 2018 was a year fraught with shutdowns. But amid all the shake-ups, the year also saw a few firsts, including approval of an artificial intelligence–based medical platform that helps clinicians diagnose strokes.
In 2018, drugs for rare conditions such as beta-thalassemia and forms of amyloidosis made it onto the approval mainstage in addition to drugs for more common diseases such as cancer. The gene-editing technology CRISPR slowly made strides into the therapeutic realm, while drugs for Alzheimer’s disease continued to falter, leaving a wide gap that is still in need of filling.