Authors' recommendations: Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve. This occurs naturally with age, as a result of injury (such as loud noises or middle/inner ear surgery), or due to unknown causes. Most cases of sudden sensorineural hearing loss are one-sided and also present with ringing in the ear. People with one-sided hearing loss have particular difficulty in locating sounds and background noises. The number of new cases of acute sensorineural hearing loss is not known accurately, but may be around 1 to 5 cases per 10,000 persons. The management of acute sensorineural hearing loss depends on the cause. In most cases, after the initial phase, any hearing loss remains permanent, and management is focused on hearing aids and implants. AM-111 is a new class of drug for acute sensorineural hearing loss. It is given as a single injection into the middle ear within 72 hours of the hearing loss. If licensed, AM-111 would be the first drug with the potential to preserve hearing in such cases.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2016

URL for published report: http://www.hsric.nihr.ac.uk/topics/am-111-for-acute-sensorineural-hearing-loss-first-line/

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre

Contact Address: The NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre, Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, 90 Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SP. United Kingdom. Tel: +44 121 414 7831, Fax: +44 121 2269

Contact Name: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Contact Email: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Copyright: NIHR Horizon Scanning Research&Intelligence Centre (NIHR HSRIC)