Annual report 2015-16 Annual report 2015-16 | Page 21

actiononhearingloss.org.uk 21 We worked to turn discoveries into treatments • We funded a multi-disciplinary project to develop a new drug treatment for age-related and noise-induced hearing loss, which brings together the drug-discovery expertise of Pragma Therapeutics, and the hearing research expertise of the Global Center for Hearing and Speech at the University of South Florida. • Three companies that we’ve helped are now carrying out clinical trials for new drug therapies for tinnitus (Auris Medical), age-related hearing loss (Autifony Therapeutics) and Ménière’s disease (Otonomy). “Your reports have been a great help to us, in understanding the market for drugs to treat hearing disorders, right from the early days of Autifony. They continue to be very useful in providing information to other pharma companies about the exciting potential for treatments. Your support for Autifony’s clinical trials – and introductions to experts in the field – has been extremely valuable.” Dr Barbara Domayne-Hayman Chief Business Officer, Autifony Therapeutics Ltd Action on Hearing Loss funding has helped us to identify changes in the DNA of a gene that make people prone to middle ear infection. Eventually, this should lead to the development of effective drug treatments. Dr Regie Santos-Cortez Baylor College of Medicine