Breakthrough Clinical Results
Envoy Medical announced positive one-month follow-up results from the first stage of its pivotal clinical trial for the fully implanted Acclaim® Cochlear Implant. All 10 participants successfully completed their visits, with no serious adverse events reported. The positive momentum has led the company to accelerate plans for expansion and commercialization. The Acclaim® Cochlear Implant is a fully implanted device designed to leverage the ear's natural anatomy, eliminating the need for external components. The device is intended for adults with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss.
Key Highlights
- Positive one-month follow-up results from the pivotal clinical trial for the Acclaim® Cochlear Implant.
- All 10 participants in the first stage completed their visits with no serious adverse events.
- Envoy Medical is accelerating plans for expansion and commercialization.
- The fully implanted design eliminates the need for external components.
Incidence and Prevalence
Global Hearing Loss Burden:
Hearing loss affects 1.6 billion individuals globally. A significant portion of these cases are preventable.
New Cases Attributable to Preventable Causes:
An estimated 33.8 million new cases of hearing loss occur worldwide annually due to preventable causes. These causes include:
- Ototoxic medications (19.6 million from aminoglycosides, 12.3 million from antimalarials)
- Otitis media (818,000)
- Meningitis (346,000)
- Cytomegalovirus (114,000)
- Congenital rubella syndrome (59,000)
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL):
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Incidence (US): 27 per 100,000 annually (data from 2006-2007). This translates to approximately 66,000 new cases per year in the US.
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Incidence increases with age, ranging from 11 per 100,000 in those under 18 to 77 per 100,000 in those 65 and older.
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Slightly higher incidence in males (ratio of 1.07:1 overall, 1.30:1 in those 65 and older).
- Prevalence (Global): Varied widely in studies, ranging from 0.1% to 0.0003% in America and 0.12% to 0.0093% in Asia.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) in Children with Sickle Cell Disease:
- Prevalence: A meta-analysis found a statistically significant increase in SNHL prevalence in children with sickle cell disease compared to the general population (risk ratio of 3.33).
SNHL in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:
- Prevalence: A study in Pakistan found a high prevalence of SNHL among T2DM patients (55.8% mild, 18.7% moderate). Peripheral neuropathy was significantly associated with SNHL.
Note: The provided data represents estimates from various studies and time periods. More recent, comprehensive global data on SNHL prevalence and incidence is needed.
While the provided PubMed articles from the past few years do not directly specify key unmet needs and target populations for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) within a recent timeframe, they offer relevant insights into unmet needs in other health areas and the approach to identifying them. Specifically, one article discusses the concept of unmet medical need in pharmaceutical R&D, emphasizing the importance of considering the future unmet need when a new product reaches the market. This is crucial for SNHL as research and development continue. Another article highlights unmet needs in adolescent girls with menstrual problems, emphasizing the importance of qualitative research to understand patient experiences and identify areas for improvement in care and education. This approach could be valuable in understanding the specific needs of individuals with SNHL. Several articles focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, revealing significant increases in anxiety, depression, and unmet needs for mental health services. This underscores the importance of considering the broader context of health and well-being when addressing specific conditions like SNHL, as mental health can significantly impact overall quality of life. Finally, an article discusses unmet needs in the treatment of food allergies, highlighting the evolving treatment landscape and the need for optimized clinical trial designs. This is relevant to SNHL as research continues to explore new therapeutic approaches. Although these articles do not directly address SNHL, they provide a framework for understanding how unmet needs are identified and addressed in other health areas. Key takeaways for considering unmet needs in SNHL:
- Focus on the future: Consider the evolving landscape of SNHL treatments and technologies when identifying unmet needs.
- Patient-centered approach: Qualitative research is crucial for understanding the lived experiences of individuals with SNHL and identifying their specific needs.
- Holistic perspective: Consider the broader context of health and well-being, including mental health, when addressing SNHL.
- Optimized research design: Rigorous clinical trials are essential for evaluating new treatments and addressing unmet needs in SNHL.
To identify the specific unmet needs and target populations for SNHL within a defined timeframe, a targeted search of recent literature focusing on SNHL is necessary.
The provided text focuses on the Acclaim® Cochlear Implant as a fully implanted device designed to address limitations of traditional cochlear implants that rely on external sound processors. It specifically mentions its use in the treatment of moderate-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The text does not mention any other indications for which the Acclaim® device is being trialed, nor does it describe specific intervention models for those trials.
While the text discusses the Early Feasibility Study involving three adult implant candidates, it primarily focuses on the surgical procedure and initial outcomes, not expanded indications or trial designs. Other sources mention evolving indications for cochlear implants in general, such as single-sided deafness, asymmetric hearing loss, and specific etiologies like vestibular schwannoma, Ménière's disease, and otosclerosis. However, these are not linked to trials of the Acclaim® device specifically.
To summarize, the provided information is insufficient to answer the question about other indications and intervention models for Acclaim® trials beyond sensorineural hearing loss.