First regenerative cell therapy for hearing loss

pharmafile | May 5, 2022 | News story | Business Services  

Rinri Therapeutics have announced the MHRA has awarded an innovation passport to the company’s lead candidate, Rincell-1. Rincell-1 is a first-in-class regenerative cell therapy, seeking to reverse auditory neuropathy, a form of sensorineural (SNHL) hearing loss.

Auditory neuropathy specifically affects the transmission of nerve signals from the inner ear to the auditory centres of the brain.

Dr Simon Chandler, CEO, Rinri Therapeutics, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Innovation Passport by the MHRA, which is the entry point to the ILAP. This is an important step in Rinri’s efforts to bring an effective pharmacological treatment as rapidly as possible to SNHL patients.”

Rinri Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing proprietary regenerative cell therapies for SNHL hearing loss. Rincell-1 has demonstrated long-term safety and efficacy in pre-clinical models, indicating potential levels of functional restoration of hearing, at a clinically significant level in humans.

Dr Chandler added: “Doug and Sheila’s decades of experience bring the proven clinical leadership into Rinri required to successfully guide and deliver our clinical strategy. We look forward to continued collaboration with regulators, health technology assessment bodies and other partners as we advance Rincell-1 through clinical development and bring hope to the hearing loss community that a new, ground-breaking treatment might soon be available.”

In spite of being the most common form of hearing loss globally, there is currently no approved pharmacological treatment available for SNHL. It is most commonly caused by aging, exposure to loud noises, head trauma, and other causes. Symptoms often include muffled hearing, sudden or steady loss of hearing, and dizziness.

Rincell-1 targets auditory neuron degeneration, and has the potential to address a significant area of unmet need in UK healthcare.

Ana Ovey

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