Hearing News Watch

As talk of hearing aid deregulation in the U.S. continues to swirl, over the past two weeks, there have been several hearing aid-related articles in the popular press.   In a Wall Street Journal letter to the editor, Garden City, New York audiologist, Roy Sullivan, PhD, responded to a January 12th WSJ article, titled “How Trump Can Help Millions Hear.”

William Demant Holdings, one of the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturers, could be negatively impacted if Donald Trump’s new administration makes good on his claims that the United States needs a “border tax” on goods entering the US from Mexico. According to analyst Michael Friis Jørgensen, in comments to the Danish publication, EuroInvestor, the company could be negatively impacted in

It has been standard practice in the United States for decades to fit individuals who have bilateral, symmetrical hearing loss with two hearing aids. According to survey data from 2014, more than 80% of hearing aid fittings are bilateral in nature. However, some studies indicate between roughly 30% to 45% of listeners with symmetrical hearing loss prefer a single hearing

Amid technological and regulatory disruptions, stressors known to many of us, the profession of audiology, at least to those on the outside, remains one of the least stressful jobs in the US. According to CareerCast, audiology ranked fourth among a group of professions, sandwiched between Hair Stylist and University Professors, considered to be the least stressful jobs. This is the

ATLANTA, GEORGIA — A doctoral student from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Alexis Noel, believes that earwax could potentially be a template for the development of adhesives for applied usage in technology, such as robotics and other machinery. According to an article in Science Daily, Noel became inspired to study earwax following an event that occurred during a vacation with

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — Otonomy, Inc., a US-based biopharmaceutical firm, announced the enrollment of its first patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating OTO-104 for prevention of hearing loss in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with platinum-based agents, such as cisplatin. This multicenter trial is designed to evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of OTO-104, through intratympanic administration, in subjects

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — Starkey Hearing Technologies announced this week that it is launching an all-new Ear Health product line. Sold directly in the hearing professional’s office, the new products offer solutions for ear wax, earaches, itchy ears, dry ears, and for protecting ears from loud sounds. According to the company press release, the new products will help professionals better serve

Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS) is a balance condition that involves a tear in the uppermost semicircular canal. According to the literature, the condition was first described and defined in 1995 by clinicians at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. It is believed to occur because the bony surface of the canal did not grow to proper thickness during development.  

STAEFA, SWITZERLAND — Sonova Holding AG announced yesterday that it has signed an agreement to sell its MiniSom retail hearing care business in Portugal to Amplifon S.p.A. According to the company’s news release, the move is a reflection of the Sonova Group’s strategy to focus on selected key markets. The completion of the sale will be subject to regulatory approval.

WASHINGTON, DC — On January 5th, Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the Hearing Aid Tax Credit bill (S. 48) in the US Senate. If the proposed bi-partisan legislation is enacted, it will provide a $500 tax credit per hearing aid purchased, with the credit available every five years.  Similar versions of the bill have been introduced in