Khaberni - The American health authorities announced that they have approved the sale of a novel gene therapy for a type of hereditary deafness, a breakthrough that paves the way for other treatments targeting these hearing problems.
The development of targeted gene therapies raises great hopes. In the United States, two to three children per thousand are born with hearing impairments, and estimates indicate that half of the cases of early deafness are hereditary.
The new treatment "Otarmine" developed by the American biotechnology company "Regeneron," targets a rare type of deafness that affects about 50 newborns annually in the United States.
The treatment is currently available to children and adults suffering from severe deafness linked to specific genetic mutations in the OTOF gene, responsible for a protein that transmits auditory signals from the inner ear to the brain.
Although gene therapies are very expensive, especially in the United States where the costs can reach millions of dollars per patient, "Regeneron" has announced its intention to offer this treatment for free to American patients who meet the criteria.
This treatment is administered through a single injection in the ear by a surgeon.
