Acousia strives to keep people connected by combatting hearing loss

Acousia is committed to identifying and developing novel compounds (small molecules) to preserve and enhance natural hearing for patients suffering from sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which make up over 90 percent of those affected by hearing loss. The company aims to make hearing loss treatable for the growing number of people affected so they can stay connected and fully participate in life.

“Blindness cuts you off from things, but deafness cuts you off from people.”

Helen Adams Keller, 1880–1968 (US author, disability rights advocate, and political activist who lost her vision and hearing in early childhood)

“Blindness cuts you off from things, but deafness cuts you off from people.”

Helen Adams Keller, 1880–1968 (US author, disability rights advocate, and political activist who lost her vision and hearing in early childhood)

Hearing loss has far reaching effects, which extend beyond a diminished capacity to converse and communicate. Studies have shown that hearing impairments increase feelings of isolation and depression. In younger patients, hearing disabilities can result in developmental deficits. Furthermore, there has been increasing support for studies showing that it is the most important mid-life risk factor for developing dementia2. Since hearing loss is the leading cause of disability among the elderly, this is an increasingly serious concern.

Acousia Therapeutics GmbH
Business Model

Pioneering therapeutics for a rapidly growing and largely untapped market

Hearing loss – one of the world's greatest unmet medical needs

1.5 billion people experience some decline in their hearing capacity during their lives. According to the WHO, the number of people affected will rise to 2.5 billion by 2050.1 Etiologies range from genetic and biological to behavioral and environmental factors.

Over 90 percent of all hearing loss is due to problems in the inner ear, which result in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). More than 40 million US patients are affected. The other 10 percent is caused by damage to the middle and outer ear (conductive hearing loss – CHL). Hearing aids and cochlear implants (CI) often help patients regain a certain degree of hearing. However, due to technical limitations, they are unable to restore natural hearing.

2022
1.5 billion
2050
2.5 billion

Figure: Number of people with hearing loss 2022 and WHO expectations for 2055.1

Hearing aids
market penetration
Medication
0
approved

Novel medical approaches to overcome the limitations of hearing aids and CI

The current market penetration for hearing aids is a surprisingly low 20 percent. This is partly due to lack of access and partly the result of physical discomfort and handling difficulties that many patients face. Nevertheless, annual sales figures for hearing devices in the US amount to USD 10 billion. With 1.5 billion people suffering from hearing loss worldwide, the market is ripe for an alternative solution.

Current therapeutic strategies like antioxidant otoprotection, sensorineural cell regeneration, and gene therapies still face significant medical, scientific, and technical challenges. As a result, no medications have been approved for the treatment of the various forms of hearing loss to date.

Hearing aids
market penetration
Medication
0
approved

Advanced small molecule candidates to enhance and preserve natural hearing

At Acousia, we develop small molecule drug candidates with a dual mode of action that is suitable for both acute and chronic forms of hearing loss. We focus on sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), targeting the major sensorineural cell types in the inner ear – the so-called outer hair cells – to enhance and preserve a patient’s natural hearing ability.

We envision our therapeutic approach as a stand-alone first line option and as a complementary form of treatment alongside hearing aids and CI.

We are seizing on the manifold SNHL market opportunities with the expertise of our experienced team and exclusive access to a best-in-class hearing research lab. Acousia has a strong intellectual property portfolio, with two composition of matter patents and one (pending) formulation patent.

Address unmet medical needs

Cochlea/SNHL 90 %

Exploit an emerging market

2021: 1.5 billion – 2050: 2.5 billion

Enhance and preserve a patient’s natural hearing

Dual mode of action

Address unmet medical needs

Cochlea/SNHL 90 %

Exploit an emerging market

2021: 1.5 billion – 2050: 2.5 billion

Enhance and preserve a patient’s natural hearing

Dual mode of action

  1. World report on hearing. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021.
  2. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report by the Lancet Commission. Livingston G, Jonathan Huntley J, Sommerlad A, Ames D, Ballard C, Banerjee S et al. Published: July 30, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6
Management and Boards

Management

Our entrepreneurial management team boasts extensive experience in the medical field and ample business know-how.

tim-boelke-acousia-ceo-cmo
Tim Boelke, MD Managing Director, CEO/CMO
As a certified medical doctor and pharmaceutical physician, Tim has been in the healthcare sector since the late 1980s. His career trajectory has spanned diagnostic, research, and marketing from the local to global levels. He gained ample senior management experience while working for SMEs as well as big global players like Roche and BASF.
jonas-dyhrfjeld-johnsen-acousia-cdo
Dr. Jonas Dyhrfjeld-Johnsen Managing Director, CDO
Jonas brings extensive knowledge of inner ear and CNS research thanks to his work on preclinical trials and translational development for companies developing inner ear drugs. His past career achievements include successfully serving as a scientific and management lead and navigating the stage from preclinical development to phase 2 clinical trials. He is the inventor of four patents for inner ear therapeutics.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors is made up of some of the most accomplished corporate development leaders in the biotech sector.

Now SVP of Portfolio & Growth Strategy at Absci, Christine has 20+ years of experience in corporate and business development, R&D, operations, and financial management in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotech sectors. Her previous experience at Bayer and Shire laid the groundwork for her deep knowledge of R&D strategizing in the industry.

As Managing Director of Acousia’s lead investor, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Venture Fund, Frank brings extensive experience in drug discovery and development as well as licensing and business development.

As Chair and Medical Director of the OHNS University Clinic in Tuebingen and Principal Investigator of the “UKT Translational Hearing Research Group”, Hubert contributes extensive experience in the field of hearing loss and need for effective therapies, broadly spanning scientific and clinical research as well as clinical practice, with more than 100 papers published throughout his career.

With his 20+ years of investment experience, Frank is a Senior Investment Manager at LBBW Venture Capital GmbH where he manages life science investments. He is also currently representing LBBW Venture Capital on the Board of Actitrexx GmbH.

As a co-founder and former CFO of Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG, Thomas has 20 years of experience in the biotechnology industry as well as extensive involvement in numerous transactions, including major licensing and asset deals, trade sales, financing rounds, and public offerings.

Collaborations

Co-operating with leading institutions in hearing loss research and development

Acousia has several exclusive co-operations with leading institutions in the field of hearing loss research and development. We work closely with UKT Translational Hearing Research Group of Tuebingen University, which is dedicated to both interdisciplinary basic research and applied development in the fields of normal and pathological sensory processing of hearing, balance, smell, and taste.

We also partner with Hearing Loss Association of America, Royal National Institute for Deaf People (UK), and Stiftung Tinnitus und Hören Charité (Germany).