OSAKA, JAPAN — Shionogi & Co., Ltd. announced the conclusion of a joint research & development agreement and investment agreement with Salubritas Therapeutics aimed at demonstrating improvements in hearing function through sensory hair cell regeneration in the inner ear and developing new pharmaceuticals.
The companies said the collaboration will focus on prevention and treatment of hearing loss through regenerative approaches, an area where drug discovery has historically proven difficult.
Under the agreement, Shionogi and Salubritas will promote joint research & development focused on regenerating sensory hair cells—an intervention considered a potential method for fundamentally treating sensorineural hearing loss. Shionogi noted that “there have been no successful clinical trials” in this area to date, and described hair cell regeneration drug discovery as “extremely difficult.”
The company said it plans to work with Salubritas due to the biotechnology firm’s research knowledge and technological capabilities in hair cell regeneration, with the goal of creating a therapeutic drug that regenerates hair cells and improves hearing function.
Targeting an Unmet Need in Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a growing global health issue, affecting an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide, according to figures cited in Shionogi’s announcement. With prevalence expected to increase alongside population growth and aging, Shionogi cited projections that a quarter of the world’s population may experience some form of hearing impairment by 2050.
The company also highlighted that hair cell damage and loss correlates with hearing loss severity and represents a major driver of moderate to severe impairment.
While hearing aids and cochlear implants remain the primary interventions available for many people with hearing loss, regenerative strategies aimed at restoring inner ear function continue to draw interest as a possible new therapeutic option. Shionogi said hair cell regeneration is expected to offer a new option for improving hearing loss, emphasizing the lack of established pharmaceutical treatments in this area today.
Shionogi stated that it has identified “Contributing to a Healthy and Prosperous Life” as a material focus, and said it is committed to delivering innovative treatments for diseases with high unmet medical needs, including hearing loss, “to patients as quickly as possible.” The companies did not disclose financial terms or specific development timelines in the announcement.
About Hearing Loss
Shionogi described hearing loss as a serious health issue with increasing prevalence due to global population growth and aging. The company noted that hearing loss often progresses slowly, which can contribute to low diagnosis rates, and cited its broader impacts on communication and social functioning. Shionogi also referenced hearing loss as a risk factor for central nervous system disorders, including dementia.
References:
- WORLD REPORT ON HEARING, WHO, 2021.
- GBD 2019 Hearing Loss Collaborators. Lancet. 2021; 397: 996-1009.
- Wu, Pei-zhe, et al. Journal of Neuroscience. 2020; 40: 6357-6366.
- Quan Yi-Zhou, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 2023; 120: e2215253120.
- Livingston Gill, et al. Lancet. 2024; 404: 572-628.
About Salubritas
Salubritas is a biotechnology company founded in 2021 to develop treatments for hearing loss through sensory hair cell regeneration. Dr. Zheng-Yi Chen, a co-founder of Salubritas and Associate Professor of Mass Eye and Ear (MEE) and Harvard Medical School, became the first in the world to successfully differentiate and induce hair cells from somatic cells in adult animals without the use of pluripotent stem cells4. The company is pioneering regenerative therapies with the goal of developing a treatment that regenerates functional hair cells to improve hearing function. It also maintains a network with Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School in the United States and a global leader in otology and inner ear disease research, enabling close collaboration with some of the world’s most distinguished scientists and physicians in the field of hearing loss treatment.
About Shionogi & Co., Ltd.
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company focused on providing the best possible medicine to protect patient health and well-being. Shionogi has developed novel antibiotics, HIV, and influenza treatments, and currently markets medicines for infectious diseases and central nervous system disorders. Their global pipeline includes research in infectious diseases, pain/CNS, metabolic disorders, rare diseases, oncology, and stroke.
Source: Shionogi
