Rinri Therapeutics

Research in the UK, human trials for sensorineural hearing loss in 1-2 years - Rinri Therapeutics

Tinnitus Talk Podcast episode from 2019:

→ Episode 5: Hearing In, Tinnitus Out — Prof. Marcelo Rivolta

 

Interesting. Are they making a distinction between hair cells and neurons, with the emphasis being on fixing neurons? Bit confused after reading their website.

 

This is the email I received from Nottingham Biomedical Centre, about the research taking place at Sheffield University.

You MUST meet at least one of the criteria below to complete the survey.

I'm not sure if you need to be in the UK or not to complete the survey. It probably doesn't matter.

However, you MUST meet at least one of the criteria above!

@UKBloke, I took it as they are not focused on IHC/OHC/synapses but on the auditory nerves. They say about 75% have hearing loss due to damage of these nerves. I have to say I'm not clear myself on this.

 

Just took a bit of a deeper dive on this. Long and short from what I can gather:

• In surgical studies they utilised a synchotron x-ray to heatmap the cochlear with the (succesful) aim of targeting a surgical delivery route for their therapy.
• Therapy seems to be stem cell based.
• Current target appears to be spiral ganglion, so we're looking at auditory neuropathy/speech-in-noise/hidden hearing loss type of situation (some studies suggest the tinnitus associated with this may be the low rumbling <1000 Hz type.

 

New article about Rinri. Three drugs seem to be in the pipeline, with Phase 1 trial for the first drug starting in 2024.

Stem cell therapy: a potential cure for hearing loss?

 

"Its lead product is Rincell-1, a first-of-its-kind inner ear cell therapy that hopes to recover sensorineural hearing loss, specifically hearing loss caused by damage to the auditory nerves in the cochlea."​

That sort of cleared it up a bit for me. Using more objective measures through the use of Cochlear Implants should be better than speech-in-noise or word recognition tests.

Rinri Therapeutics have the funding and don't need to rely on the dreaded stock market + they are tied to a university!

 

Looks like HOPE is back on the menu, boys.

 

@LAnative, you will need to follow them closely. You are unlikely to see the media coverage and self-promotion you see with some biotechs, which is why they are under the radar.

 

Rinri Therapeutics' Board of Directors still seems to be filled with biotech industry folks, right? Even Frequency Therapeutics liked to mention their connections to Harvard and MIT.

I suppose the hope here is that Rinri Therapeutics do not become publicly traded so as to not puff up their prospects?

 

Great news.

 

Hello, all. Long time occasional lurker, first time poster, going to jump right into it. (My apologies in advance if I break any implicit conventions or rules, please correct me.)

Rinri Therapeutics claims:

This raises some questions for me. They are confidently stating that they now have a correct understanding of the human auditory development at a molecular level after past failures. On what basis if they're preclinical? Do they even have animal models? The one study I see cited states in the abstract only in vitro testing, and testing in an "auditory neuropathy model".

Every one of these labs, public, private, or non-profit affiliated gives me hope as it adds to our body of knowledge on the issue, but I want to have an accurate assessment of what's been accomplished vs. hype.

 

World’s first self-monitored cochlear implant trial opens the door to future hearing loss therapies

In a global first, cochlear implant users have been able to perform their own hearing health recordings from the comfort of their own homes.

Until recently, objectively measuring cochlear health was notoriously difficult. However, a ground-breaking study published in Frontiers in Neurology has overcome this challenge by using the electrode arrays of cochlear implants to gain direct insight into cochlear health. Importantly, since data collection in this study was via participant self-assessment, it enabled regular recordings to be made over long periods of time. Such high intensities of data collection would have been impossible if testing relied on participants attending clinics. The application of this technique has improved the medical understanding of how cochlear health influences the performance of implants, and importantly, may serve to overcome major hurdles in the development of advanced treatments for deafness, including the regenerative cell therapies being developed by Rinri Therapeutics. The approach pioneered by this study, cements Rinri’s position as a global leader in the design of effective clinical trials for hearing loss.

The data was collected by experienced adult cochlear implant recipients. They were trained to use the AIM tablet to self-record electrode impedances, electrically-evoked compound action potentials (eCAPs) and electrochochleography (ECochGs). These measures, cumulatively, provide a comprehensive snapshot of an individual’s cochlear health.

 

↑ Yep, this is how they will objectively measure Rincel-1, an auditory nerve regeneration stem cell therapeutic in the upcoming clinical trial. The trial will not start until late 2024/early 2025.

It is basically replacing the speech in noise tests used by other companies, which is more subjective and open to day to day variations.

 

I trust the companies that fly under the radar more than the ones that are boasting. It's never the person shouting loudest that I want to pay attention to.

 

It's a solid collaboration between Nottingham University, Sheffield University and Rinri Therapeutics. That doesn't mean the outcome is certain, but the preclinical stuff showed it to do what we want it to.

 

Smart thinkin'!

 

Does anyone have an idea what their “surgical procedure” would entail to receive their treatment? At least a day in the hospital? Would this hamper widespread availability of their treatment?

 

I cannot find the "access point" anywhere in literature. They talk about discovering a new route to the cochlear though.

 

I don’t think that their procedure is more complicated than a cochlear implant surgery, which is pretty much outpatient.

They want to be able to accurately deliver the drug via the round window, therefore I think they will cut behind the ear and to it like that, or perhaps they will make a small incision to guide a camera + needle to inject via the round window. I saw an interview with Dr. Zheng and he mentioned Rinri Therapeutics. He also touched on his approach and that an outpatient surgery is required.

 

Is it a single procedure or do they have to administer the drug multiple times?

I wonder how one's tinnitus will be affected as the nerve heals/regenerates. Will it start changing in pitch and volume as the healing continues?

Either way, hopefully this proves successful at treating tinnitus as well as deafness.

 

Can someone get the preclinical data? Restoration of auditory evoked responses by human ES-cell-derived otic progenitors.

 

Attached is the full article. Did you mean that?

 

Yup, thank you @annV.

 

Does anyone know the status? Has the clinical trial started yet or will it be later this year?

 

In a word, no. Best guess this time next year. 4-5 patients.

 

Rinri Therapeutics Announces New Chair as It Approaches First Clinical Trial