£10 Million Raised for GSK Hearing Disorder Spin-Out

Hi all,
I think they might really have found somthing that will work here. This is the most amount off money I have ever seen being used for hearing loss and T R and D. It has the top ex-GlaxoSmithKline senior scientists involved, UCL are involved, also rnid are involved . Private invstors have stomped up millions of pounds, which they dont do unless they think there is some chance off getting there money back.

The best thing about this, is they plan to accelerate preclinical development with the objective of commencing human trials in early 2013.

To get to this point the must have found something they think might work.

http://pharmatimes.com/article/11-08-23/£10_million_raised_for_GSK_hearing_disorder_spin-out.aspx

 

They are keeping very quiet about what it is they have developed arent they? Sounds interesting, I'll be putting my name down for testing!

 

This is a pharmacological approach to taming hyperexcitability of the cells generating tinnitus by new voltage-gated ion channel modulator compounds, it appears.

There seems to a number of promising approaches under development / trial:

1.Ablation of hyperactive cells by HIFU
2. Taming of hyperexcitability by voltage-gated ion channel modulator compounds( GSK Imperial SV etc)
3. Fix of the cause of hyperexcitability , restoration of cochlear function( hair cell / nerve cell regeneration) There are many approaches being investisgated in this field,

1 appears to a one off fix, but there are some questions. clinical trials 2013?
2 not enough info, pharmalogical approach, has backing from some big players
3 progressing rapidly but still at lab stage, perhaps the most elegant solution when and if it works.

 

I thought option 2 had just had some money pumped into it and thats what the UCL are using to develop a drug which will be ready for trails early this year? I thought it was option 2 that was going into trials early 2013?

 

This is the GSK/UCL article ....
"Susan Searle, Imperial Innovations’ chief executive, said that "this is a creative approach to building new companies, leveraging established pharmaceutical assets together with the world class scientific expertise that exists at the UCL Ear Institute.” Proceeds from the funding will be used to accelerate preclinical development with the objective of commencing human trials in early 2013."

Do you think the '2013' is a typo? Theyd have to be recruiting for that now surely?

 

the article was written in 2011, and there are much details, I havent heard about any trials either, maybe they are being planned, I dont know, would have to contact someone involved to find latest status. sometimes trials get delayed for all kinds of reasons.

 

I've emailed two places about it - the UCL and the place Susan Serle works. If I get an answer then I'll post.

 

thats geat louise look forward to their answer