Session Description
Besides rehabilitation approaches with hearing aids, there are no available treatment options for permanent hearing loss; however, significant contributions to the state of the science has been made at the drug discovery level, and with first-in-kind clinical trials, along with significant resources being allocated in the pursuit of more options for those with hearing loss. In fact, there are more than 40 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing inner ear therapies and potential drug delivery systems. This session will present an overview of the hearing loss therapeutic landscape. We will review groundbreaking clinical trials completed, in progress, and on the horizon. The studies reviewed will include gene therapies along with preventative, enhancement, and regenerative medicine approaches. The review will empower clinicians to be aware of the most recent developments and be conscious of the evolving future landscape of treatment and management of hearing loss. Clinicians have an important role to play, both in educating their patients about the current state of novel therapies, and in partnering in the development and evaluation of these promising interventions.
