Jan. 29, 2021 12:00 UTC

Program to screen for congenital, monogenic hearing loss in children diagnosed with auditory neuropathy

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Decibel Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to discovering and developing transformative treatments to restore and improve hearing and balance, today announced a partnership with Invitae, a leading medical genetics company, to launch AmplifyTM, a no-charge genetic testing program to screen for the genetic cause of congenital hearing loss in children diagnosed with auditory neuropathy.

We are pleased to collaborate with Invitae to introduce AmplifyTM, which is designed to bring patients one step closer to molecular diagnosis and clinical management of auditory neuropathy, a disorder that affects approximately 10 percent of children who are born with hearing loss, said Jonathon Whitton, Au.D., Ph.D., Vice President of Clinical Research at Decibel. This program seeks to provide much-needed answers to patients and families of patients who experience congenital, monogenic hearing loss. We hope that AmplifyTM will provide those patients with a better understanding of their diagnosis and their treatment options.

Auditory neuropathy is a hearing disorder in which the cochlea, the hearing organ located in the inner ear, receives sound normally, yet the transmission of sound to the brain is interrupted. The most common genetic cause of auditory neuropathy is insufficient production of a protein called otoferlin, which facilitates communication between the inner ear sensory cells and the auditory nerve. When this protein is lacking, the ear cannot communicate with the auditory nerve and the brain, resulting in profound hearing loss. Decibels lead investigational gene therapy program, DB-OTO, is designed to treat congenital, monogenic hearing loss caused by a deficiency in the otoferlin gene.

Amplify Program Eligibility

AmplifyTM is available to individuals who meet the following criteria:

AmplifyTM is a no-charge program that offers genetic testing for those who qualify. Although genetic testing can confirm a potential diagnosis, the absence of a genetic alteration does not preclude a diagnosis of genetic hearing loss. For more information about the program, please visit the Amplify program page.

About DB-OTO

DB-OTO is Decibels investigational gene therapy to restore hearing in children with congenital hearing loss due to a deficiency in the otoferlin gene. The program, developed in collaboration with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, uses a proprietary, cell-selective promoter to precisely control gene expression in cochlear hair cells. DB-OTO is in preclinical studies, and Decibel expects to initiate clinical testing in 2022.

About Invitae

Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website.

About Decibel Therapeutics

Decibel Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to discovering and developing transformative treatments to restore and improve hearing and balance, one of the largest areas of unmet need in medicine. Decibel has built a proprietary platform that integrates single-cell genomics and bioinformatic analyses, precision gene therapy technologies and expertise in inner ear biology. Decibel is leveraging its platform to advance gene therapies designed to selectively replace genes for the treatment of congenital, monogenic hearing loss and to regenerate inner ear hair cells for the treatment of acquired hearing and balance disorders. Decibels pipeline, including its lead investigational gene therapy program, DB-OTO, to treat congenital, monogenic hearing loss, is designed to deliver on our vision of a world in which the privileges of hearing and balance are available to all. For more information about Decibel Therapeutics, please visit http://www.decibeltx.com or follow @DecibelTx.

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Decibel Therapeutics and Invitae Announce Launch of Amplify Genetic Testing Program - BioSpace