1. Scrip
  2. >>R&D

Pharma Wakes Up To Transformative Progress In Hearing Loss Research

 
• By John Davis

The cacophony of noise in the modern world is one factor driving the loss of hearing throughout humankind, a condition that until now has not been thought amenable to pharmacological intervention. But with small-molecule approaches to regenerating cells in the inner ear bearing fruit, biotech and pharmaceutical companies are taking renewed interest in the sector. 

Internal ear
developing drugs for hearing-related conditions is not easy • Source: Shutterstock

If the decibels are high enough, a single night at a noisy musical event will destroy some of your hair cells forever – some animals, including birds and frogs, are able to regenerate hair cells, but that regenerative ability has been lost in humans. At birth, you had around 12,000 hair cells in each ear, and that number has been on the decline ever since.

Estimates vary, but the US charity the Hearing Health Foundation estimates that some 50 million people in the US, and 360 million worldwide, have sufficient hearing loss to cause them to suffer social isolation, learning impairment and general misery

A Sudden Loss

Increasing age and the accumulation of damage from various causes are important risk factors for hearing loss. One of the most serious pathological conditions of the ear is sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), usually linked to damage of the sound-sensing "hair cells" in the inner ear. This can be caused by extremely loud noises, surgical procedures, antibiotics or chemotherapeutic agents, or an inexplicable loss of hearing with no obvious cause. 

Around one in 500 infants are born with, or develop, hearing loss during early childhood because of genetically inherited conditions

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from R&D

First Win For AstraZeneca’s Enhertu In Early-Stage Breast Cancer Treatment

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

Already dominating in later lines of breast cancer treatment, Enhertu could now displace both chemotherapy combinations and Roche’s Kadcyla in early-stage HER2-positive patients.

In Brief: Strong OS Results For Immutep’s Eftilagimod/Keytruda Combo In Head And Neck Cancer

 
• By Sushmita Panda

Australian firm's combo of eftilagimod and Keytruda shows 17.6-month median overall survival in first-line HNSCC patients with low PD-L1, raising hopes for potential accelerated approval.

In Brief: Positive New Data For Aptose’s Triplet Therapy In 1L AML

 
• By Sushmita Panda

Aptose’s tuspetinib triplet shows early mutation-agnostic promise in new data from Phase I/II program for frontline acute myeloid leukemia.

Chinese Firms Build Obesity Clinical Pipeline But Face Wider Hurdles

 
• By Xu Hu

Despite the ability to initiate clinical trials quickly and having strong manufacturing capacity, Chinese companies are facing multiple challenges in the obesity space.

More from Scrip

Quick Listen: Scrip’s Five Must-Know Things

 
• By Ian Haydock

In this week's episode: AstraZeneca CEO cautions Europe; Pfizer CEO optimistic on US tariffs, pricing; Merck & Co reassures on pipeline; Merck KGaA buys SpringWorks; and Akeso explains ivonescimab overall survival data.

Vertex Sinks On Below-Consensus Revenue, Limited Sales From New Launches

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Vertex is in need of diversification, but in addition to its lower-than-expected Q1 revenue, sales of the company’s newest CF drug Alyftrek and pain medicine Journavx disappointed.

Aldeyra Plans To File Reproxalap Again With New Dry Eye Symptom Data

 
• By Joseph Haas

The biotech hopes a third time will be the charm after two FDA complete responses, with plans to position its eye drop as offering quicker onset of action.