2026: The Year of Giant Medical Leaps

We’re not trying to be hyperbolic when we say mankind might be on the brink of a medical revolution. In February, we rounded up four medical breakthroughs that could benefit millions of people (and the fortunes of some companies). Well, here we are six months later, and there have been so many further developments that we compiled four additional promising treatments. They’re each a testament to mankind’s savvy — and a reminder of the value of R&D.

[1] A drug for ‘undruggable’ cancer genes

Scientists have developed a new drug to hunt down KRAS, a so-called “undruggable” gene that can mutate into uncontrollable cancer-cell growth. The drug, daraxonrasib, is the first to substantially extend the lives of pancreatic cancer patients, who have a five-year survival rate of about 13%. It works by latching onto the nasty genes with a molecular glue, stopping them from wiggling free, as they have with past treatments. “I’m pretty sure I would not be alive still but for this drug,” one patient told The New York Times.

How real is this? It’s already approved by the U.S. FDA but not Health Canada.

[2] Tiny robots that can dissolve blood clots 

Developed by scientists in Zurich, these sand-sized microrobots surf through your blood to deliver a drug dose at precise locations in the body. It sounds like an idea cribbed straight from The Magic School Bus, but the upside is very real: scientists hope the bots will be able to dissolve stroke-causing blood clots and reduce the size of tumours without serious side effects. The tech has been successfully trialled in silicone models and animals, and the research team hopes to start human trials soon. 

How real is this? It’s moonshot-y but has momentum. 

[3] A gene therapy to heal vision loss … through age reversal

In June, Boston firm Life Biosciences launched the first-ever human trial of an experimental gene therapy that coaxes older cells into acting as if they’re young again. The therapy works by “reactivating” three types of genes that don’t naturally regenerate. We’re still a long way from Benjamin Button-style age reversal, but the therapy is being tested on eye cells in hopes that it can reverse conditions such as glaucoma, the world’s leading cause of age-related blindness, and perhaps other age-related diseases.

How real is this? The company claims the drug has restored vision in monkeys! Human trials are ongoing.

[4] A simpler way to diagnose Alzheimer’s 

Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed using a PET scan or a lumbar puncture, but new studies suggest there could be an easier, cheaper way: blood tests. Research presented at an international Alzheimer’s conference in July suggests that blood tests could even predict an asymptomatic patient’s risk of developing the disease, allowing for earlier intervention. Traditional diagnostic tools, like PET scans, aren’t as widely available in Canada as they are in other OECD countries, so these blood tests could serve as an accessible initial screening. 

How real is this? Two tests are already approved by the U.S. FDA and pending Health Canada’s OK.

Written By

Jenna Benchetrit

Jenna Benchetrit is the senior business & markets reporter at TLDR, Wealthsimple Media's flagship financial newsletter. She was formerly a senior business writer at CBC News, where she covered economics and consumer issues for a Canadian audience.