Acousia Therapeutics to present Phase 2 hearing loss study at conferences

TÜBINGEN, Germany, Aug. 12, 2024 -- Acousia Therapeutics GmbH, a biotech company based in Tübingen, Germany, is making strides in the field of natural hearing enhancement and preservation. The company is set to present findings from its ACOU085 Phase 2 PROHEAR clinical study at two prestigious events: the HansonWade 4th Inner Ear Disorders Therapeutics Summit in Boston from August 20–22, and the 36th World Congress of Audiology in Paris from September 19–22, 2024.

The PROHEAR study is a placebo-controlled Phase 2a clinical trial designed to investigate the otoprotective properties of ACOU085 in patients undergoing high-dose cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens for testicular cancer. This study features a split-body design and is formally endorsed by the Study Group of the German Society of Otorhinolaryngology (DSZ-HNO). The research is being conducted across major university clinics in Germany and has received approval from the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) as well as the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

On August 21, Dr. Jonas Dyhrfjeld-Johnsen will present the Phase 2 PROHEAR clinical study at the HansonWade 4th Inner Ear Disorders Therapeutics Summit in Boston. His presentation will be part of the session on discovering and validating new drug targets for various forms of deafness, including noise-induced, age-related, and chemically-induced deafness. Additionally, Dr. Dyhrfjeld-Johnsen will chair the summit and participate in various roundtable and panel discussions.

Following this, on September 22, Dr. Dyhrfjeld-Johnsen will present the study at the 36th World Congress of Audiology in Paris. This presentation will occur during the Clinical Trials in Audiology and Otoneurology session and will target an international audience of clinical specialists.

Dr. Dyhrfjeld-Johnsen expressed enthusiasm about these opportunities to share their research. "We are thrilled by the invitations to present our ongoing PROHEAR study testing the otoprotective efficacy of ACOU085 against cisplatin-induced hearing loss to the international clinical community and our industry peers. The great interest in our clinical development program is a reflection of the major unmet medical need and long-lasting health consequences facing patients suffering acute forms of hearing loss, such as the side effects induced by life-saving chemotherapy," he said.

ACOU085, also known as Bimokalner, is a small-molecule drug candidate designed to protect the ears from damage without being specific to any particular cause of hearing loss. Administered using a transtympanic method with a proprietary slow-release gel formulation, ACOU085 aims to mitigate the severe and permanent ototoxic side effects of cisplatin treatment. This ototoxicity results in irreversible damage to the outer hair cells (OHCs) in the inner ear. ACOU085 works by modulating the KCNQ4-encoded Kv7.4 potassium channel in these cells and has shown significant potential in preclinical models to reduce hearing loss induced by cisplatin and preserve the outer hair cells.

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