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Addressing unmet needs
in neurotology

Hearing and balance disorders are significant problems affecting tens of millions of people worldwide—and with our ever-noisier world and an aging population, the impact of these conditions is only expected to grow. At Otonomy, we focus on a broad set of these disorders where no FDA-approved drug treatments are available.

Otonomy - Addressing unmet needs in neurotology
Neurotological disorders of focus
Ménière’s Disease
Tinnitus
Acquired
Hearing Loss
Genetic
Hearing Loss
Chemotherapy-Related
Hearing Loss
Ménière’s Disease

Ménière’s disease is a chronic condition with debilitating symptoms that typically arises in middle age, when patients are balancing work, children and other family responsibilities. Today, more than 850,000 people in the U.S. live with the symptoms of Ménière’s disease1—including our founder, Jay Lichter.

Ménière’s patients diagnosed in 40s-50s
Patients typically diagnosed in their
40s-50s2
Ménière’s symptoms
Symptoms include acute vertigo episodes,
tinnitus, and fluctuating hearing loss that
becomes permanent over time
Ménière’s quality of life
Patients' quality of life and work
productivity significantly affected3,4,5
There are currently no FDA-approved drug
treatments for Ménière’s disease.
See how Otonomy is working to change that. »
Tinnitus

Imagine living with constant ringing, roaring, clicking or humming in one or both ears that makes it difficult to concentrate, relax and sleep. Yet no outside sound is actually present. This frustrating reality is life with tinnitus—a life experienced by about 10% of all U.S. adults.6

Tinnitus causes
Frequently caused by exposure to excessive noise or other injury to the hearing organ (cochlea)
Tinnitus quality of life
Constant annoyance can negatively impact a patient's quality of life and lead to anxiety and depression7
Tinnitus – military disability
#1 service-related disability in the U.S. military8
There are currently no FDA-approved drug
treatments for tinnitus.
See how Otonomy is working to change that. »
Acquired
Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is a large and growing unmet need, typically a result of aging, noise damage or exposure to ototoxic drugs—all of which can typically damage cochlear hair cells and/or spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear. Treatment research has focused on ways to repair or regenerate the hair cells and, more recently, on restoring the synaptic connections between these hair cells and the neurons that communicate sound to our brains.

Number of people with acquired hearing loss
Approximately 466M people are living with
disabling hearing loss9
Acquired hearing loss quality of life
Leads to social isolation, lower quality of life,
and higher rates of dementia and depression10
There are currently no FDA-approved drug
treatments for hearing loss.
See how Otonomy is working to change that. »
Genetic
Hearing Loss

While only 1% of all sensorineural hearing loss (hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or related nerves) is due to genetic causes, these account for the majority of hearing loss diagnosed from birth to the age of language development.11 Most cases of genetic hearing loss are non-syndromic and the majority of these are due to an autosomal recessive gene defect. Replacing the defective gene with an operational one holds the promise for a permanent restoration of hearing in these patients.

Hearing loss testing in newborns
95% of all newborns in the United States
undergo screening for hearing loss12
Genetic hearing loss statistics
More than 100 genetic defects have been
identified as causing sensorineural hearing
loss13
There are currently no FDA-approved drug
treatments for genetic hearing loss.
See how Otonomy is working to change that. »
Chemotherapy-Related
Hearing Loss

When treating cancer, side effects are expected. Most of the time these are short-term—but platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, can lead to permanent cisplatin-induced hearing loss (CIHL). Children are especially vulnerable to this debilitating adverse effect of their often life-saving treatment.

Chemotherapy-Related Hearing Loss in Children
>80% of children treated with platinum
agents experience hearing loss14
Chemotherapy-Related Hearing Loss Impact on Children
CIHL impacts speech development,
academic performance, and socialization14,15
Acquired hearing loss quality of life
CIHL has a life-long impact on children
There are currently no FDA-approved drug
treatments for cisplatin-induced hearing loss.
See how Otonomy is working to change that. »
References: 1. IMS Health. Data on file, 2018. 2. Sajjadi H, Paparella MM. Meniere’s disease. Lancet. 2008; 372: 406–14. 3. Tyrrell J, Whinnet DJ, Taylor T. The cost of Ménière’s disease: a novel multisource approach. Ear Hear. 2016;37(3):e202-209. 4. Anderson JP and Harris JP. Impact of Meniere’s disease on quality of life. Otology & Neurotology. 2001;22(6):888-894. 5. Arroll M, Dancey CP, Attree EA, et al. People with symptoms of Ménière’s disease: the relationship between intrusiveness, illness uncertainty, dizziness handicap, and depression. Otology & Neurotology. 2012;33(5):816-823. 6. US Department of Health & Human Services, NationaI Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Quick statistics about hearing. 15 December 2016. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing. Accessed 6 June 2019. 7. American Tinnitus Association. Impact of tinnitus. https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts/impact-tinnitus. Accessed 6 June 2019. 8. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Research & Development. VA research on hearing loss. 12 August 2016. https://www.research.va.gov/topics/hearing.cfm. Accessed 5 June 2019. 9. World Health Organization. Global estimates on prevalence of hearing loss. [Presentation] 2018. https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/estimates/en. Accessed 5 June 2019. 10. Rutherford BR, Brewster K, Golub JS, et al. Sensation and psychiatry: linking age-related hearing loss to late-life depression and cognitive decline. Am J Psychiatry. 2018;175(3):215-224. 11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disorders. Genetics of Hearing Loss. 11 April 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/genetics.html. Accessed 5 June 2019. 12. US Department of Health & Human Services, National Institute of Health. Newborn Hearing Screening. 30 June 2018. https://report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=104. Accessed 5 June 2019. 13. Koffler T, Ushakov K, Avraham KB. Genetics of hearing loss—syndromic. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2015;48(6):1041-1061. 14. Landier W, Knight K, Wong FL, et al. Ototoxicity in children with high-risk neuroblastoma: prevalence, risk factors, and concordance of grading scales—a report from the children’s oncology group. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2014;32(6):527-534. 15. Gurney JG, Tersak JM, Ness KK, et al. Hearing loss, quality of life, and academic problems in long-term neuroblastoma survivors: a report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Pediatrics. 2007;120(5):e1229-1236.