Is There a Magic Pill to Cure Hearing Loss?

What if there were a magic pill available to help heal or improve one’s hearing loss? What if advances in molecular biology and bioinformatics lead research to find ways to use drugs and gene therapy to improve hearing loss, tinnitus and possibly Ménière’s disease? What if this may soon be a real possibility? Would you take a chance and try them?

Due to the rise of biotech start-up companies, there is a growth in research and development to treat a plethora of different medical conditions. Some of the bigger pharmaceutical companies have even partnered with these budding start-ups to help fund their research.

This optimistic outlook in the medical field, specifically in the field of hearing and audiology, has some believing that this 2016 is “the year for the ear.” Dave Fabry, an audiologist and a spokesperson for the Better Hearing Institute states that, “[Hearing loss is] finally on the radar and getting more attention.” This is a victory for hearing loss – which is the third most common medical condition in the US – but is often overlooked or is considered taboo.

Meanwhile, hearing aid technology is advancing at a rapid rate, with wireless solutions considered “mini-computers” for the ears. The hearing industry constantly works on ways to improve hearing aids and hearing solutions increases at a rapid rate.

On average, around 10,000 people of the Baby Boomer generation turn 70 years old each day. Statistics find that 1 in 3 of people age 65 and older will have some degree of hearing loss (these numbers rise to 50% of people age 75 and older). More importantly, because today’s lifestyle is louder with noise, music, horns, etc., there are also a rising number of the younger generation who are also suffering from hearing loss as well.

While the advances for hearing aids, assistive listening devices and cochlear implants have made huge strides over the past few decades, the possibility of a medication for treating hearing loss and tinnitus is a game changer!

As far as we know, at this point in time, hearing loss is irreversible. But what if there were some sort of pill to reverse the effects of hearing loss? The difficulty for many of these researchers is that there are many reasons one may suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus.

The ear, from the inner ear hair cells, nerves and auditory processes of the brain, are very complex. This presents challenges when developing a single drug to address these conditions. However, scientists today have a better understanding of the molecular pathways in the ear and believe that there may be a way to regenerate hair cells and repair synaptic connections. Some companies like GenVec believe that this can be done using gene therapy.

For tinnitus cases, scientists believe they understand more of the ear’s nerves fibres and how they work. This has lead to the beginning of clinical trials of new drug developments to address the signalling between the nerve fibers and the cochlea that may contribute to tinnitus. This may also contribute to a solution to treat Ménière’s disease.

While research and development for hearing solutions is growing at a rapid pace, its projected that drugs and medications may not be available on the market for another five years – at least! However, news like this gives many hope. Where there once was a belief that hearing loss and tinnitus are irreversible conditions, science and technology are now at a place where this may not be the case anymore.

In the meantime, let’s count on our tried and true methods to address hearing loss: hearing exams with a specialist and the prescription of technologically-advanced hearing aids. Contact us at My Hearing Centers to schedule a consultation today!