A biotech company based in Liège has moved a potential treatment for age-related hearing loss into the next stage of clinical testing after reporting positive results from an earlier trial.
Dendrogenix announced on Wednesday that it has administered the first dose of its drug candidate DX243 as part of a Phase 2a clinical trial.
The treatment is designed to target the biological mechanisms involved in age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis, a condition that affects millions of older adults worldwide.
DX243 belongs to a new class of small molecules known as dendrogenins. According to the company, these compounds have both neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties, meaning they may help protect and repair nerve cells.
The Liège-based biotech, which operates from the Liège University Hospital, said the drug's mechanism of action could extend beyond hearing loss.
"Given its remarkable mechanism of action, DX243 has strong therapeutic potential for the treatment of numerous conditions involving neuronal damage," the company said.
Potential future applications could include neurodegenerative disorders linked to ischaemic stroke and traumatic brain injuries, although further research will be required before such uses can be evaluated.
The Phase 2a trial marks the next step in assessing the treatment's safety and effectiveness in patients.
