Early investigational drugs for hearing loss

Abstract

Introduction: Sensorineural hearing loss (HL) is becoming a global phenomenon at an alarming rate. Nearly 600 million people have been estimated to have significant HL in at least one ear. There are several different causes of sensorineural HL included in this review of new investigational drugs for HL. They are noise-induced, drug-induced, sudden sensorineural HL, presbycusis and HL due to cytomegalovirus infections.

Areas covered: This review presents trends in research for new investigational drugs encompassing a variety of causes of HL. The studies presented here are the latest developments either in the research laboratories or in preclinical, Phase 0, Phase I or Phase II clinical trials for drugs targeting HL.

Expert opinion: While it is important that prophylactic measures are developed, it is extremely crucial that rescue strategies for unexpected or unavoidable cochlear insult be established. To achieve this goal for the development of drugs for HL, innovative strategies and extensive testing are required for progress from the bench to bedside. However, although a great deal of research needs to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of protecting the ear against acquired sensorineural HL, we are likely to see exciting breakthroughs in the near future.

Keywords:

• aminoglycoside antibiotics
• anti-inflammatory agents
• antioxidants
• cisplatin
• cochlea
• mAbs
• noise-induced hearing loss
• ototoxicity
• presbycusis or age-induced hearing loss
• reactive oxygen species
• sensorineural hearing loss
• short inhibitory RNA
• vitamins

Declaration of interest

LP Rybak is supported by a National Institutes of Health grant RO1DC02396, while V Ramkumar is supported by NIH grant R01CA166907. D Mukherjea also has grant support from NIH with grant RO3DC011621. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Notes

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