Drugs that Cure Hearing Loss
Several efforts are underway to develop drugs that can prevent or
treat various types of hearing loss. We've been following some of these
efforts rather closely and will continue to bring you news of these
efforts as it becomes available.
American BioHealth
Auris Medical
Sound Pharmaceuticals
Here are additional stories about drugs that may cure or prevent
hearing loss:
March 2007 - Anti-epileptic drugs may help prevent
and treat noise-induced hearing loss
March 2007 - Genetic hearing loss may be reversible
without gene therapy
April 2007 - Antioxidants: An Antidote for
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?
June 2007 -
Evidence lacking to guide
treatment for sudden hearing loss
September 2007 -
Quark Pharmaceuticals developing drug to prevent hearing loss
October 2007 - Premier Micronutrient Corporation (PMC)
Releases Hearing Health Supplement to Address Multiple Conditions
Mar 2008 - Hearing Pill to
Undergo More Clinical Trials
June 2008 -
Chemical Combo May Prevent Hearing Loss
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September 2007
Quark Pharmaceuticals Inc, a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel RNA
interference-based therapeutics, announced today that it has expanded its
relationship with the State University of New York at Buffalo, Center for
Hearing & Deafness, which is the company's primary site for the
pre-clinical studies of its product candidate, AHLi-11, for the treatment
of acute hearing loss. Quark initiated its collaboration with the State
University of New York in 2005. The current studies, led by Richard Salvi,
PhD, focus on the in-depth analysis of the effect of AHLi-11 and other
molecules in preventing chemotherapy-induced hearing loss. Based on these
studies, Quark Pharmaceuticals expects to file an IND within 2007 for
AHLi-11 for the prevention chemotherapy-induced hearing loss. AHLi-11 is a
siRNA-based drug that temporarily inhibits the expression of human gene
p53. Cochlear hair cell apoptosis (cell death), a key factor in several of
the more common causes of acute hearing loss, is believed to be induced by
molecular mechanisms most likely associated with p53-dependent stress
response. Inhibition of p53, therefore, is suggested as a potential
modality for the prevention of ototoxic hearing loss, a common side-effect
of certain drugs including aminoglycoside antibiotics and cancer
therapeutics such as cisplatin, as well as acoustic trauma.
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