AudioCure Pharma GmbH has been awarded for its innovative compound AC102 by the Hearing Technology Innovator Awards, honoring technological innovation and breakthroughs in the hearing industry.
AudioCure is developing the therapeutic small molecule AC102 to treat hearing impairments including Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL). While corticosteroids are the standard treatment, health authorities have never approved them as there is no clear evidence of a clinically relevant benefit to the patient. AudioCure is conducting extensive research to develop targeted and effective therapies to address this high unmet medical need.
“The Innovator Awards aim to acknowledge the individuals and organizations that transform groundbreaking hearing care concepts into reality,” says Robert Traynor, EdD, MBA, FNAP, member of the 2023 Awards program judge’s panel. “Companies like AudioCure are playing a pivotal role in advancing innovation throughout the industry.”
In preclinical hearing loss models, a single application of AC102 in the middle ear almost completely restores hearing, strongly outperforming multiple doses of corticosteroid therapy. After AC102 was demonstrated as safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers, a Europe-wide Phase 2 clinical trial is currently underway evaluating the efficacy of AC102 compared to corticosteroids. Patients with severe to profound SSNHL can be enrolled within five days of symptom onset at up to 50 study centers, including in Austria, Germany, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Poland, and Serbia.
“Receiving the Hearing Technology Innovator Award underscores the urgent need for advanced solutions in treating conditions like SSNHL,” says Reimar Schlingensiepen, CEO of AudioCure. “It also honors the groundbreaking innovation by our founder, Prof. Hans Rommelspacher. Our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial represents a significant step towards a transformative solution. This recognition fuels our commitment to redefine the standards-of-care in hearing therapeutics.”
Further reading: Widex Wins Three 2023 Hearing Technology Innovator Awards
Featured image: Reimar Schlingensiepen, MD, CEO of AudioCure Pharma GmbH (left) and Prof. Hans Rommelspacher, AudioCure Pharma’s founder and CSO, receive the award in the therapeutics category. Photo: AudioCure Pharma
