Legal Update: Defective Earplugs and 3M Lawsuit
Editor’s Note: Today’s post comes from guest contributor, and consumer advocate, Joseph Oot The 3M Company is reportedly facing legal issues once again over their dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2), as veterans and military members across the country are filing lawsuits. In May 2016, Moldex-Metric filed a lawsuit against 3M on behalf of…
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Westone Acquires the Largest Custom-Fit Industrial Hearing Protection Manufacturer in North America
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO — Westone Laboratories, Inc., in partnership with their principal investment group, HealthEdge Investment Partners, announced that it has closed on its acquisition of Custom Protect Ear, the largest custom-fit industrial hearing protection manufacturer in North America. “We are delighted to join forces with Custom Protect Ear, the most trusted brand in custom-fit…
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3M to Pay U.S. Military $9 Million for Defective Earplugs
St. Paul, Minnesota-based company 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the U.S. military defective earplugs. As part of the settlement, 3M did not admit liability. According to a July 27 Military Times report, 3M allegedly sold its dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2, to the Defense Logistics Agency…
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GN Announces Development of New Communication Device for Soldiers in Combat
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — Hearing aid maker, GN Store Nord, announced today that it has developed a new hearing protection device that allows soldiers to communicate on the battlefield, while also protecting their hearing. GN says that it will begin participating in military tenders in the US and with other NATO-countries this year, but says the…
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New Device Developed for Somasensory Tinnitus
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN — Researchers at the University of Michigan’s Kresge Hearing Research Institute recently developed a device for individuals suffering from annoying or debilitating tinnitus. Led by Susan Shore, PhD, the experimental intervention combines auditory and mild electrical pulse stimulation that offers promise as a neurologic approach to treating the incapacitating effects of tinnitus.…
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Study finds Sensorion’s Investigative Drug Prevented Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss By More Than 50 Percent
MONTPELLIER, FRANCE — French biotech firm, Sensorion, announced the upcoming publication this week in the Journal of Otology & Neurotology of a new study showing oral clinical-stage SENS-401 (the company’s investigative drug) significantly prevented cisplatin-induced hearing loss in preclinical models. Cisplatin, a commonly-used chemotherapy agent to treat various forms of cancer, causes significant levels of…
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After Passage of Tennessee Hearing Protection Act, Residents Now Allowed to Use Firearm Silencers
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE — The Tennessee Hearing Protection Act of 2017 officially went into effect on July 1st, after passing through the state legislature this year. No longer banned in the state, Tennesseans can now use firearm suppressors (silencers) on their guns. Backers of the legislation say its going to help protect the hearing of hunters…
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Study: Sodium Thiosulfate Treatment Significantly Reduces Chemotherapy-Induced Hearing Loss in Children
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — According to a new study, investigators at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and 37 other Children’s Oncology Group hospitals in the U.S. and Canada have found that sodium thiosulfate helps prevent cisplatin-induced hearing loss in children with cancer. Results of the randomized, controlled, phase 3 study, were published in this month’s…
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Over 4,000 Firefighters File Lawsuit Against Siren Manufacturers Over Hearing Loss
NEW YORK CITY – in the New Jersey and New York City area, over 4,000 firefighters are filing suit against truck siren manufacturers over claims of permanent hearing loss as a result of years of exposure to the sirens. Many of the veteran firefighters, who have been exposed to the loud sirens for years, have…
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Startup Gets $52 Million Investment to Develop Drug Treatment for Hearing Loss
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – Third Rock Ventures, a biotechnology-focused venture capital firm located in Boston, announced the launch of a new startup company with the sole purpose of treating hearing loss. The new company, Decibel Therapeutics, raised $52 million dollars in Series A funding for its launch, with investment from Third Rock Ventures and SR One—the venture capital arm of…
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