What We Do

Our injection addresses two problems: regenerating damaged or lost cochlear hair cells for restored hearing and delivering medicine to the inner ear via the middle ear. The regeneration injection (AOK-1) harnesses the power of nanoparticle technology to promote hearing regeneration in the cochlea by means of a middle ear injection. The injection has been shown to restore natural hearing function in noise-deafened animals and has recently been licensed by a pharmaceutical company for further clinical development.

Historically, drug delivery of this type could only be performed by skilled surgeons in an operating room. However, HEI researchers and our commercialization partner are developing a formulation that would make administering AOK-1 a simple outpatient procedure. If successful, it will dramatically increase its utility and accessibility for millions of people worldwide.