Decibel Therapeutics Just Received $52M in Funding

[earsnothappy]

Boston-based Third Rock Ventures is announcing, along with GlaxoSmithKline SR One venture arm, that they are putting $52 million to work in a Series A financing for the rather aptly named Decibel Therapeutics. Third Rock partner Kevin Starr is the chairman and interim CEO. In typical Third Rock fashion, it rounded up a who's who of hearing loss researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear (M. Charles Liberman and Albert Edge), the University of Michigan (Gabriel Corfas) and the Scripps Research Institute (Ulrich Müller).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/luketim...ird-rock-pumps-52m-into-hearing-loss-startup/

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2015/...-put-52m-into-decibel-to-battle-hearing-loss/

From the above link: "With success Decibel will move to more prevalent problems, like a consistent ringing in the ears called tinnitus, or age-related hearing loss, both of which affect millions across the globe."

They're 3 years out from any sort of hearing related drugs being tested, but nice to see another player in the game!

 

[tomytl]

Boston-based Third Rock Ventures is announcing, along with GlaxoSmithKline SR One venture arm, that they are putting $52 million to work in a Series A financing for the rather aptly named Decibel Therapeutics. Third Rock partner Kevin Starr is the chairman and interim CEO. In typical Third Rock fashion, it rounded up a who's who of hearing loss researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear (M. Charles Liberman and Albert Edge), the University of Michigan (Gabriel Corfas) and the Scripps Research Institute (Ulrich Müller).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/luketim...ird-rock-pumps-52m-into-hearing-loss-startup/

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2015/...-put-52m-into-decibel-to-battle-hearing-loss/

From the above link: "With success Decibel will move to more prevalent problems, like a consistent ringing in the ears called tinnitus, or age-related hearing loss, both of which affect millions across the globe."

They're 3 years out from any sort of hearing related drugs being tested, but nice to see another player in the game!

This is indeed very good news, because the science behind comes from top notch researchers and some of the best labs including the delivery technology from Draper.
Ofcourse a solution won't be here tomorrow, but I guess they have promising candidates for regrowing synapses. They are also aware of hidden hearing loss, which does not give any results in conventional hearing tests.
It's good to have one more player with a big pharma in the back.
So Researcher Albert Edge is appearing in both, Audion Therapeutics and Decibel..Both has their labs in Boston...

 

[randomuser]

Things are moving. I'm personally in need to read news like this. I only want a bit of hope.

 

[Marcuseva03]

Hmmm. With success with dealing with hearing loss. Then will they move on to tinnitus?

But in any case, good news more investment are put into research!

 

[RaZaH]

Good news.

 

[papu]

"antibody meant to help grow neurites, the projections from the body of a neuron, like an axon or dendrite."

Decibel hopes to have its first in human clinical testing in less than three years.

Very interesting indeed.

 

[RB2014]

Sign me up.

 

[Isabella 123]

I think GSK as the major funder is a good sign, would they be doing this if there were not at least some probability of success? (Remember it was GSK behind Autifony's trials of that pill that didn't work and they stopped it cold when it didn't look like it would work.)

Big Pharma usually doesn't get this deep into something that doesn't have a good chance of pay-off. I noted in their press info that they are focusing on developing a drug to resolve tinnitus due to several different causes. Woot woot, maybe this will (eventually) help us!

 

[valeri]

Until I see the script in my hand for tinnitus reducing drug.... it's all just another try

 

[lapidus]

"hottest startup in health care"

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...nored-group/rvmEizDEKWCYu8zxWBj1mL/story.html

 

[Champ]

"hottest startup in health care"

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...nored-group/rvmEizDEKWCYu8zxWBj1mL/story.html

I love living in Boston, we have so many bright minds around here :3

 

[vegasjon]

New chief at a year-old research company talks the talk. Figured it was worth sharing here. At least it's nice to see some focus on the problem.

Now, how about solutions?

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...decibel-ceo/earUbHO58NaoRHm4MxeEiI/story.html

 

[vegasjon]

A new guy in charge at Decibel...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...decibel-ceo/earUbHO58NaoRHm4MxeEiI/story.html

 

[Reinier]

A new guy in charge at Decibel...

He is motivated
His sister Nina was born with a profound hearing loss. He sits on the board of the Berklee College of Music and is concerned about the hearing of musicians and music fans.

And finally, he said, "I'm a baby boomer who's losing his hearing."

 

[Mentos]

Personally I put a lot of trust in Decibel Therapeutics, In my view they have the biggest potenial to come up with some robust drugs for hearing loss and tinnitus. With a specialist like Charles Liberaman, whose theory about hidden hearing loss and cochlear synaptopathy speaks to me a lot, they have a big chance of success for some kinds of T. We just have to be patient since they expect their first clinical trials only in 2 years time.

 

[Mario martz]

Personally I put a lot of trust in Decibel Therapeutics, In my view they have the biggest potenial to come up with some robust drugs for hearing loss and tinnitus. With a specialist like Charles Liberaman, whose theory about hidden hearing loss and cochlear synaptopathy speaks to me a lot, they have a big chance of success for some kinds of T. We just have to be patient since they expect their first clinical trials only in 2 years time.

Yes! Charles Liberaman is the man!!!

 

[Ian Mac]

Let's build him a statue

 

[Reinier]

Let's build him a statue

I will personally build him a statue if he comes up with a cure for hearing loss.
I am not an artist. It would be my first statue.

 

[vegasjon]

I will personally build him a statue if he comes up with a cure for hearing loss.
I am not an artist. It would be my first statue.

I'll contribute the first $100 toward it!

 

[Reinier]

Just imagine I can start worry about making good on my promise.
Heavy sigh!
What do we consider to be a cure though? The first attempts surely will not regenerate all damaged areas in and around the inner ear?
I do not bring this up because I want to go back on my promise

 

[RB2014]

Personally I put a lot of trust in Decibel Therapeutics, In my view they have the biggest potenial to come up with some robust drugs for hearing loss and tinnitus. With a specialist like Charles Liberaman, whose theory about hidden hearing loss and cochlear synaptopathy speaks to me a lot, they have a big chance of success for some kinds of T. We just have to be patient since they expect their first clinical trials only in 2 years time.

I am completely agreeing with this. Out of all of the start ups out there I am putting my money on this one.

Reinier, even 30 to 40 db increase would be huge for most people. Getting someone from profound hearing loss back to moderate would be life changing and allow hearing aides to work the way they were intended. Speech recognition severe and beyond takes a big hit.

 

[Reinier]

Reinier, even 30 to 40 db increase would be huge for most people. Getting someone from profound hearing loss back to moderate would be life changing and allow hearing aides to work the way they were intended.

I agree. 30 to 40 dB for my most damaged ear would be exhilarating. I also firmly believe not only improving hearing threshold will be the only benefit. Tinnitus, hyperacusis and distortion will improve. Like you mentioned, speech recognition will improve.
But if for the first time, planned "regeneration" in humans really happens, so much more insight into the mechanisms will be understood/confirmed. It means science will know the principle is sound. No pun intended.

 

[Ian Mac]

I need symmetry, maybe I'm weird but I can't deal with right ear louder than the other. I don't care if you make my left ear louder as long as it's the same and symmetrical.

 

[Ian Mac]

I will personally build him a statue if he comes up with a cure for hearing loss.
I am not an artist. It would be my first statue.

I'll S his D if he cures H or T.. Ya you can quote me, Call me B.I.G.

 

[Reinier]

I need symmetry, maybe I'm weird but I can't deal with right ear louder than the other

The interesting thing is that I don't notice the unbalance in everyday life. Yes, I have difficulty understanding people in noisy environments because of the hearing loss.
Perhaps I am used to the unbalance?
But covering my better ear is definite anxiety trigger.

 

[Ian Mac]

I have "normal" hearing but I notice I have a muffled left ear because everything is quieter through that ear. Unfortunately also my right ear has tonal to tinnitus, it's not white noise, sounds like a electric keyboard piano just holding down a high pitched key. And I plug my ears and it's only in the right side and it's so distracting I hear it even when I'm driving and makes my brain feel asymmetrical and I have trouble because I continue to listen to it, again if it were in both ears I wouldn't have a problem with it.

 

[Reinier]

I noticed my brain is playing tricks with me.
My radio is on the right side of my bed. When I plug my right ear I still think I can hear the radio on my right side.
This actually is not possible, because no sound what soever gets in my right ear.
I had to concentrate to notice that the sound that I experience inside my head I hear through my left ear!
But my brain tells me it is coming from my right ear (because I know my radio sits on my right side).
This is a weird experience.

 

[lymebite]

Anyone on LinkedIn, please "follow" Decibel Therapeutics. More followers shows interest to the investors.

Plus, you get updates. They are not on Facebook or Twitter yet, the only social media site they have right now is LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/decibel-therapeutics

 

[Ecip]

I'd love to, but not really interested in creating a linked in account. lol

 

[Reinier]

done. At least now I get some use out of Linkedin (-;