Frequency Therapeutics — Hearing Loss Regeneration

[Jrblovsky]

Shocked your otologist actually knew and connected it. Keep them under glass and clone them.

It seems most people I've encountered on this forum with the usual acoustic trauma -> tinnitus, have visual snow syndrome. I'm a bit worried that I don't have it; it'd imply to me that it isn't my cochlea damaged but something else. But as you said, it's just one of many potential symptoms, right? I'm just worried because it seems to make up the majority.

I would think FX-322 would help with it to a degree by that logic. I just hope that us without visual snow syndrome but with tinnitus and hyperacusis can still be helped. I basically pray every day that my cochlea is fried, which is a bit screwed up. Really hoping it helps every symptom.

I think I had a pretty severe acoustic trauma and I don't have visual snow.

 

[Philip83]

Shocked your otologist actually knew and connected it. Keep them under glass and clone them.

It seems most people I've encountered on this forum with the usual acoustic trauma -> tinnitus, have visual snow syndrome. I'm a bit worried that I don't have it; it'd imply to me that it isn't my cochlea damaged but something else. But as you said, it's just one of many potential symptoms, right? I'm just worried because it seems to make up the majority.

I would think FX-322 would help with it to a degree by that logic. I just hope that us without visual snow syndrome but with tinnitus and hyperacusis can still be helped. I basically pray every day that my cochlea is fried, which is a bit screwed up. Really hoping it helps every symptom.

I think this is a bit of an irrational worry. I have pretty severe tinnitus and hyperacusis and no visual snow. I'm pretty sure a large majority of tinnitus sufferers do not have it.

 

[serendipity1996]

Surgical methods for CI are extremely damaging. Often you can lose remaining hair cells during CI implantation (the electrical stimulation bypasses this so you can still hear after).

There is an alternative surgical approach for delivering meds that starts at the apex called canalostomy. This has a risk to vestibular hair cells rather than hearing ones (but you only need one good vestibular ear to function after PT, ask me how I know ). As far as I know this hasn't yet been attempted on humans yet though.

Novartis had a hair cell drug that had to be infused directly into the cochlea since it was an AAV treatment. The surgery itself probably did more harm than good (it may have even damaged cells they were trying to transduce with the viral vectors) and their drug failed.

Companies like Akouous have drugs for genetic deafness and have an AAV platform. They described that they have their own unique surgical approach for this in one presentation awhile ago without actually describing the technique. If that's true, they may have the surgical answer for direct drug infusion since AAV drugs depend on it. I'm following them to see how they progress.

Not to mention the whole appeal of a drug like FX-322 is that it is a simple in-office procedure, which they have emphasised in their talks.

 

[Koz]

It seems most people I've encountered on this forum with the usual acoustic trauma -> tinnitus, have visual snow syndrome. I'm a bit worried that I don't have it; it'd imply to me that it isn't my cochlea damaged but something else. But as you said, it's just one of many potential symptoms, right? I'm just worried because it seems to make up the majority.

I wouldn't worry about that too much man, I am pretty certain that it's the same reason certain people have hearing loss and tinnitus but not hyperacusis (I am in that category, zero hyperacusis but I have visual snow and tinnitus with my hearing loss). I just think the symptoms of manifestation of the same problem from the brain differs from person to person slightly.

Kind of why some people have hearing loss but no tinnitus either. You know what I'm saying?

 

[Damien0000]

I think this is a bit of an irrational worry. I have pretty severe tinnitus and hyperacusis and no visual snow. I'm pretty sure a large majority of tinnitus sufferers do not have it.

What do you mean by "visual snow"? Bright spots in the field of vision?

I have bright spots yes but because I have visual problems. I don't think it is related to tinnitus. I think I had some before I had my acoustic trauma.

 

[Fields]

What do you mean by "visual snow"? Bright spots in the field of vision?

I have bright spots yes but because I have visual problems. I don't think it is related to tinnitus. I think I had some before I had my acoustic trauma.

Visual snow differs per person. For me, it's a very fine static-like effect that overlaps my vision.

It doesn't bother me much unless I focus on it, or when I look at large, colored surfaces. Looking at the clear blue sky on a bright day is particularly bothersome, for some reason.

I had visual snow before developing tinnitus, though tinnitus did make it slightly worse.

 

[Philip83]

Coincidence that they left in her part about tinnitus?

 

[Diesel]

Coincidence that they left in her part about tinnitus?

The fact of the matter is, tinnitus is related to hearing loss. This is a story that is all too real. We'll know soon enough how much reversing the hearing loss also reverses the tinnitus...

 

[wwtsai]

The fact of the matter is, tinnitus is related to hearing loss. This is a story that is all too real. We'll know soon enough how much reversing the hearing loss also reverses the tinnitus...

The world needs to know that losing hearing could mean hearing much more than we've ever asked for...

 

[Lucifer]

The world needs to know that losing hearing could mean hearing much more than we've ever asked for...

They also need to talk about tinnitus and hyperacusis, and how, if you get either one of these conditions, you can become worse from noise exposure, even if you use earplugs/earmuffs.

If we all knew that these conditions existed we would have protected our ears before we went to loud events or did things that are loud.

 

[Rb86]

Coincidence that they left in her part about tinnitus?

I just wonder why Frequency Therapeutics is posting that. It's just another story we all know too well.

 

[Jrblovsky]

They also need to talk about tinnitus and hyperacusis, and how, if you get either one of these conditions, you can become worse from noise exposure, even if you use earplugs/earmuffs.

If we all knew that these conditions existed we would have protected our ears before we went to loud events or did things that are loud.

Some of us tried. I had faulty hearing protection.

 

[Philip83]

The fact of the matter is, tinnitus is related to hearing loss. This is a story that is all too real. We'll know soon enough how much reversing the hearing loss also reverses the tinnitus...

Yes, it could just be part of her story and they left it in for no other reason. But seeing how particular Frequency Therapeutics has been about their communication on all levels, and that this video is not a live interview, but a "scripted", produced and edited video, most likely with oversight and revisions by multiple non-marketing people, it would surprise me if it was a fluke. This is the equivalent to them Twittering something similar in text, imo.

At the very least they want to educate people that tinnitus is a product of hearing loss. Her quote is blatantly meant to communicate that to the viewer. And why would that be something they'd be interested in communicating if it didn't involve their drug in some way?

Again, me just thinking out loud, but it did make me jump in my chair.

 

[kamil1364]

When it comes to dysacusis, is FX-322 or OTO-413 going to be more effective?

 

[Keith Handy]

Coincidence that they left in her part about tinnitus?

The fact that they've included the production of several professional looking videos and animations in their budget—and that their online media explains things in a simple and easy-to-understand way as though addressing the consumer directly—has to be a positive sign, right? Or is this just to appeal to investors?

 

[Diesel]

The fact that they've included the production of several professional looking videos and animations in their budget—and that their online media explains things in a simple and easy-to-understand way as though addressing the consumer directly—has to be a positive sign, right? Or is this just to appeal to investors?

This most recent two, in my opinion, are both for the investor and end-patient/general public. Outside of this forum, it seems like the general public is really clueless about research going on in the hearing loss space. Probably because they rely on their doctors as a primary source of information. Frequency Therapeutics has also discussed how they need to "own" the progress made on informing doctors and patients on FX-322 for it to be successful.

 

[serendipity1996]

This most recent two, in my opinion, are both for the investor and end-patient/general public. Outside of this forum, it seems like the general public is really clueless about research going on in the hearing loss space. Probably because they rely on their doctors as a primary source of information. Frequency Therapeutics has also discussed how they need to "own" the progress made on informing doctors and patients on FX-322 for it to be successful.

The general public has absolutely no clue. People my age (early twenties) genuinely seem to believe that by the time we are elderly we will still be relying on the same old hearing aids that we use today.

 

[Diesel]

The general public has absolutely no clue. People my age (early twenties) genuinely seem to believe that by the time we are elderly we will still be relying on the same old hearing aids that we use today.

Excellent point. I should have clarified in my post; I meant the general "hearing loss" public is grossly uninformed based on what I've seen outside of Tinnitus Talk.

 

[Guywithapug]

The general public has absolutely no clue. People my age (early twenties) genuinely seem to believe that by the time we are elderly we will still be relying on the same old hearing aids that we use today.

Hearing aids have certainly come a long way to be honest, with things like AI integration, greater processing power and lower latency. This will however pale in comparison to what's on the horizon.

I believe drugs like FX-322 will be a paradigm shift and serve as motivation for future innovation by competitors to address different scenarios of hearing loss.

Unfortunately for some, these innovations will come too late and they will have to simply rely on established treatment options for now like hearing aids, which may be less than adequate. So I am optimistic about the future, hopefully it comes sooner than later

 

[serendipity1996]

I think in general people are not aware of how much progress there has been in biomedical research and our understanding of various conditions.

 

[Pero1234]

I just wonder why Frequency Therapeutics is posting that. It's just another story we all know too well.

My guess: they want people sharing these relatable stories through social media, so that more people would learn about Frequency Therapeutics and the work they are doing.

To slowly but surely build a reputation as a (potential) hearing loss treatment company.

 

[Keith Handy]

Excellent point. I should have clarified in my post; I meant the general "hearing loss" public is grossly uninformed based on what I've seen outside of Tinnitus Talk.

They're also generally more interested in things that are available to them now, and unless they're as desperate as some of us are on here, won't be trying so hard to scope out the future for answers.

 

[Jrblovsky]

The general public has absolutely no clue. People my age (early twenties) genuinely seem to believe that by the time we are elderly we will still be relying on the same old hearing aids that we use today.

In their defense, before I lost most of the hearing in my right ear I had no idea this could be so debilitating. I also never in a million years thought I would ever need a hearing aid. Maybe when I'm elderly, not now though.

 

[Aaron91]

When it comes to dysacusis, is FX-322 or OTO-413 going to be more effective?

It's anyone's guess, but my gut instinct, based on a lot of recent reading, is that an OHC repair approach could well help us, especially given that FX-322 may also in places regrow synapses as well. I'll be making a thread soon in the hyperacusis subforum as to why I think this is the case.

 

[FGG]

In their defense, before I lost most of the hearing in my right ear I had no idea this could be so debilitating. I also never in a million years thought I would ever need a hearing aid. Maybe when I'm elderly, not now though.

I was really naive. I honestly thought that hearing loss just meant you had to turn things up or wear hearing aids and you could have natural hearing and that was that. There is so little education about this.

 

[Keith Handy]

I'll be making a thread soon in the hyperacusis subforum as to why I think this is the case.

Looking forward to it.

 

[RichieTheKid]

These days are excruciating. Soldiers like us out here fighting to stay sane while waiting for FX-322 to arrive.

I'm in the Caribbean... Nobody here has even heard of FX-322. How will I even get it? Borders are closed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Sorry, rambling.

 

[Diesel]

Now a third tweet from Frequency Therapeutics that reinforces that they're focusing more on "educating" the investor / end-patient. I'd be willing to bet they have a graphic/video focused on tinnitus, and they're just hovering over the send button.

 

[GBB]

These days are excruciating. Soldiers like us out here fighting to stay sane while waiting for FX-322 to arrive.

I'm in the Caribbean... Nobody here has even heard of FX-322. How will I even get it? Borders are closed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Sorry, rambling.

War is an apt analogy - one of the only ways I rationalize this is thinking about how prior generations had to fight in wars, handle sieges, handle starvation and exposure to the elements, and otherwise faced untimely physical deterioration.

 

[Shizune]

These days are excruciating. Soldiers like us out here fighting to stay sane while waiting for FX-322 to arrive.

I'm in the Caribbean... Nobody here has even heard of FX-322. How will I even get it? Borders are closed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Sorry, rambling.

I am going to assume that COVID-19 will be over and done with by the time FX-322 is out.