Hearing News Watch

UPDATE 5/15/16: Confirming months of rumors and speculation that Audigy was potentially courting bidders, GN ReSound announced in press release on May 15th that it has signed a long-term supply agreement with Audigy Group, which includes a contingent agreement to acquire the company, in a deal worth up to $151 million.   Rumors continue to swirl about Starkey’s acquisition of Audigy. The

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s most well respected scientific organizations, held their annual meeting in Washington, February 11-15, 2016. On Sunday, February 14, Dr. Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore participated in an AAAS symposium entitled, At a Loss for Words, or Losing Your Mind? New Views

SEOUL , SOUTH KOREA — A new report out yesterday has added further confirmation regarding months of rumors surrounding Samsung’s possible launch into the hearing aid industry. In a report by Gina Smith at aNewDomain, she discusses what was found within newly-obtained FCC documents, which were filed by Samsung in October and December 2015. According to Smith, there are two distinct filings made by the

ROTTERDAM — AudioNova, one of the largest hearing aid retailers in Europe, is on the auction block, according to recent reports. AudioNova, owned by the investment company HAL Trust, has more than 1300 hearing aid retail stores across 12 countries in Europe, including Germany and France. Amplifon, William Demant, Sonova and Sivantos are reported to be interested in the chain. Neither

On the heels of Starkey’s announcement of their industry-first partnership with the upstart hearable company, Bragi, more news of other products entering into the ear-level amplification space are emerging. As early as February 21st, hearing care professionals just might get a peek at a new hearing aid option for their patients. In a report from April 2015, Samsung was said to be preparing to

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — GN Store Nord announced last week that it has chosen hearing industry veteran Marcus Desimoni as the new chief financial officer (CFO) of GN Store Nord and GN ReSound, effective February 15, 2016. Desimoni will replace Anders Boyer, who resigned as CFO in December. According to the company, Desimoni has more than 15 years of financial leadership experience within international finance and capital

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — Oricula Therapeutics, LLC, a biotech startup firm based in Seattle, announced today that it has received a Phase 2 Grant of approximately $2 million dollars from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award funds will support the completion of the company’s

Genetic factors play a significant role in both sensorineural hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss. For a number of reasons genetic studies involving humans are complicated.  They are prone to challenges associated with low statistical power, limited replicability, and confounding environmental parameters, such as noise exposure and ototoxic medication use. Thus, the inbred mouse research model remains a highly useful

UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS — A team of Dutch researchers from the Department of Psychiatry at the University Medical Center Utrecht and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, recently published a meta-analysis that showed an association between hearing loss and psychosis. Their meta-analyses revealed an increased risk of hearing impairment on all psychosis outcomes, including hallucinations, delusions, psychotic symptoms and delirium. Early exposure to hearing impairment

PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY — One year after the transfer of Siemens hearing aids to the Sivantos group, it was announced late last week that the group would be introducing a new brand to the marketplace. During their recent Aspire customer loyalty meeting, which brought more than 300 hearing care providers to Nashville for a three day conference, the Sivantos Group