When author Khalil Gibran said "progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be," he wasn't talking about improvements in treatment of asthma and diabetes, but he could have been.

Three new treatments are likely to change circumstances for folks contending with asthma and diabetes.

1. For people dealing with uncontrolled moderate to severe asthma, a phase-3, double-blind, randomized study found that a combination of 180 micrograms of albuterol (a bronchodilator) and 160 micrograms of budesonide (a corticosteroid) used as rescue medication helped stop an asthma attack better than albuterol alone. Plus, it cut the risk of a severe asthma attack by 26%.

2. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new Type 2 diabetes medication called tirzepatide. In five clinical studies, it was shown to lower A1c levels better than long-acting insulin degludec or insulin glargine, the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide (Ozempic), or a placebo. A 15 mg dose of the once-weekly injection caused a 1.6% decrease in A1c vs. placebo. That’s enough to put some folks' A1C below 5.7%, which is the normal level.

3. Pain from diabetic neuropathy can be crippling. The SENZA-PDN trial showed that patients who received high-frequency (10-k-Hz) spinal cord stimulation using the FDA-approved implantable Senza System experienced meaningful relief. According to Cleveland Clinic researcher Dr. Christian Nasr, in the first six-month trial — which compared the device to conventional medical management — participants using Senza saw a 76.3% reduction in pain, and 93% of participants then asked to have the device implanted permanently.