Following extensive preclinical research, AudioCure Pharma has selected AC102 as its candidate for clinical development. Our next step will be to bring AC102 into the so-called formal preclinical stage of development, a prerequisite for the initiation of clinical studies in patients with acute hearing loss.
Since preclinical data indicate that AC102 can exert its beneficial effects in a number of other indications, a swift extension of the clinical development program for AC102 is planned, with acute tinnitus as the next therapeutic focus. Both sudden hearing loss and acute tinnitus have a very high unmet medical need as, to date, there are no approved therapeutic treatments available.
AC102 is a new chemical entity that has demonstrated substantial efficacy in models of both hearing loss and neuroprotection. Preclinical studies in a model of noise-induced hearing loss have shown the unique ability of AC102 to tackle the damage of the key players that are critical to the hearing process, namely the sensory hair cells and neurons of the inner ear. Therefore, with AC102, our therapeutic approach goes beyond treating symptoms by tackling the root cause of the disorder.