Vertex’s Journavx, Eisai Biogen’s Leqembi Iqlik, and Gilead’s Yeztugo Recognized in TIME’s Best Medical Inventions of 2025 List

TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025 features milestone innovations across healthcare and technology, including three transformative medicines: Vertex Journavx, Eisai Biogen Leqembi Iqlik, and Gilead Yeztugo.  Each drug represents a significant advance in its therapeutic area, with distinct development stories, FDA approval paths, and meaningful impacts on patient care.

For 25 years, TIME editors have acclaimed the most impactful new products and ideas in their annual Best Inventions issue. In 2025, the list expanded to over 300 inventions, reviewing nominations from editors and correspondents worldwide plus online submissions. Nominees are rigorously evaluated for originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact, with particular attention to high-impact fields like health care and AI. The final selections showcase innovations that transform how we live and address urgent global challenges.

TIME’s Selection Criteria

TIME Magazine evaluates each potential invention against:

Originality: Is the product or idea truly novel?

Efficacy: Does it solve a problem or deliver its intended effect well?

Ambition: Is it aiming to address something bold or difficult?

Impact: How far-reaching and meaningful are its effects for individuals or society?

This year’s Best Inventions in Medicine and Healthcare, as announced by TIME Magazine, showcase a new era of life-changing treatments and health technology that are transforming how we prevent, diagnose, and manage disease. TIME’s 2025 list highlighted the medical innovations making the world safer, smarter, and improving patient outcomes.

Vertex Journavx

Vertex Pharmaceuticals developed Journavx (suzetrigine) as the first non-opioid prescription painkiller and selective NaV1.8 sodium channel inhibitor targeting acute pain without opioids. The FDA approved Journavx in early 2025 under the accelerated approval program, highlighting its potential to address the opioid crisis. Vertex Pharmaceuticals holds the marketing authorization for Journavx

Journavx inhibits the NaV1.8 sodium channel voltage-gated channels that propagate pain signals in peripheral nerves. By selectively blocking this channel, it blocks transmission of pain without affecting other sodium channels involved in cardiac or CNS functions, minimizing side effects.

Journavx offers substantial advantages compared to existing opioid analgesics. It provides effective relief from moderate to severe acute pain without the risk of addiction, respiratory depression, or tolerance. Its safety profile enables doctors to manage pain confidently while avoiding opioid-related complications, improving patient quality of life.

TIME magazine recognition underscores Journavx’s role as a transformational medicine in the ongoing effort to combat opioid addiction and improve pain management globally.

Eisai and Biogen Leqembi Iqlik

Leqembi Iqlik (lecanemab-irmb) is a novel subcutaneous autoinjector formulation developed jointly by Eisai and Biogen. Developed on the intravenously administered Lecanemab therapy for early Alzheimer’s disease, Leqembi Iqlik was engineered to allow convenient home administration of maintenance dose . It received FDA approval in August 2025 following robust Phase 3 trials confirming efficacy and safety. Eisai and Biogen jointly market Leqembi Iqlik.

Leqembi Iqlik targets beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s pathology. It is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and promotes clearance of soluble amyloid aggregates, slowing cognitive decline.

The subcutaneous autoinjector design enables patients and caregivers to administer the drug at home weekly, improving adherence and reducing healthcare visits. This accessibility enhances patient autonomy and lifestyle. The therapy’s disease-modifying potential represents hope for millions suffering from early Alzheimer’s.

TIME highlighted Leqembi Iqlik for patient-centric innovation which allow patient for home administration of maintenance dose of drug addressing a major gap in Alzheimer’s care and improving access for families affected by cognitive decline.

Gilead’s Yeztugo

Yeztugo (Lenacapavir) was developed by Gilead as a long-acting HIV-1 capsid inhibitor designed for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Completed Phase 3 trials demonstrated its strong efficacy, and the FDA approved it in June 2025 as the first PrEP option with twice-yearly injections.

Yeztugo inhibits the HIV-1 capsid protein, essential for viral replication and assembly. This unique mechanism blocks multiple steps of the virus lifecycle, providing potent and durable viral suppression.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has publicly endorsed Gilead’s Yeztugo (Lenacapavir) as a landmark HIV prevention tool, describing it as “the next best thing” to an HIV vaccine. In an official statement, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “While an HIV vaccine remains elusive, Lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk”

Yeztugo biannual injections significantly reduce dosing burden compared to daily oral PrEP, which also contributes in polypharmacy and improving adherence and access for high-risk populations. This long-acting approach enhances prevention and potentially lowering HIV transmission rates globally. Results showed ≥99.9% efficacy, especially benefiting vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.

TIME recognized Yeztugo fundamental advancement against HIV prevention and treatment, pointing to its real potential to transform public health and possibly end the HIV epidemic with simplified access and greater stigma reduction.