Auris Medical Receives FDA and EMA Guidance for Keyzilen® Late-Stage Clinical Development Program

Hamilton, Bermuda, Sept. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auris Medical Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ: EARS), a clinical-stage company dedicated to developing therapeutics that address important unmet medical needs in neurotology and central nervous system disorders, today announced that it has obtained advice on the development plan and regulatory pathway for its investigational tinnitus treatment Keyzilen^® (AM-101) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and from the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”). The Company had reached out to the two agencies in order to discuss and validate the design of a new Phase 2/3 trial for the Keyzilen^® program. The advice was provided in the context of a Type C meeting and a Scientific Advice procedure, respectively.

In their feedback, both the FDA and EMA supported the use of the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) questionnaire as the primary efficacy outcome measure. The TFI captures the impact of tinnitus on the patient’s day-to-day functioning. Furthermore, the two agencies agreed on a less frequent collection of patient-reported tinnitus loudness than in the previous Keyzilen^® trials, where daily ratings had turned out to be problematic. The FDA considers the improvement in tinnitus loudness as a co-primary efficacy endpoint, whereas the EMA endorsed it as a secondary efficacy endpoint. In addition, the two agencies endorsed the planned sample size for the trial and provided important guidance on the regulatory path forward.  

“We very much appreciate the objective feedback and guidance from the FDA and EMA on our Keyzilen^® program”, commented Thomas Meyer, Auris Medical’s founder, chairman and CEO. “We are very pleased to be aligned with the FDA and EMA on the key design aspects for the planned Phase 2/3 trial and look forward to working with the agencies as we continue to develop Keyzilen^® as a potential first-in-class treatment for acute inner ear tinnitus.”

The planned Phase 2/3 trial shall, in two stages, reaffirm and confirm the efficacy of Keyzilen^® in the treatment of acute tinnitus following traumatic cochlear injury. It will incorporate learnings from the previous four late-stage trials, TACTT2, TACTT3, AMPACT1 and AMPACT2, notably with regard to the collection of patient reported outcomes and certain elements of study conduct. In addition, the trial will explore the use of a novel method for objective tinnitus diagnosis and measurement. The Company aims to further develop Keyzilen^® with the aid of non-dilutive funding. The funding options which are currently under consideration include: strategic partnering, special purpose vehicle financing, grant funding or a combination thereof.  

About Tinnitus

Tinnitus, the perception of sound without external acoustic stimulation, is a symptom common to various ear or other diseases. Inner ear tinnitus may be provoked by various injuries to the cochlea, the organ of hearing, such as overexposure to noise or inflammation. Tinnitus may be transitory; however, it may also become permanent. Tinnitus of less than three months of duration is considered acute, while older tinnitus is considered chronic. Inner ear tinnitus often has a serious impact on the ability to sleep, relax, or concentrate, and it may lead to tiredness, irritation, nervousness, despair, frustration, or even depression. As of today, neither a universal standard of care for acute inner ear tinnitus, nor a truly proven and effective treatment method is available.

About Keyzilen^® / AM-101

Keyzilen^® is a small molecule N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist formulated in a biocompatible gel and delivered by intratympanic administration. Keyzilen^® is in development for treatment of acute tinnitus following traumatic cochlear injury. Emerging evidence suggests that NMDA receptors in the cochlea play a major role in the occurrence of tinnitus following acute traumatic injury to the inner ear. Persistent overexpression of NMDA receptors may lead to pathologic excitation of auditory nerve fibers, which in the brain is perceived as tinnitus. The development of Keyzilen^® is based on research conducted at the INSERM Institute for Neurosciences, and patents have been granted in more than 40 countries worldwide so far.

About Auris Medical

Auris Medical is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing therapeutics that address important unmet medical needs in neurotology and central nervous system disorders. The company is focused on the development of intranasal betahistine for the treatment of vertigo (AM-125) and for the treatment of antipsychotic-induced weight gain and somnolence (AM-201). These projects have gone through two Phase 1 trials and entered into proof-of-concept studies in 2019. In addition, Auris Medical has two Phase 3 programs under development: Sonsuvi^® (AM-111) for acute inner ear hearing loss and Keyzilen^® (AM-101) for acute inner ear tinnitus. The Company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. The shares of Auris Medical Holding Ltd. trade on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “EARS.”

Forward-looking Statements

This press release may contain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or Auris Medical’s strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “projects,” “potential,” “outlook” or “continue,” or the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Auris Medical’s need for and ability to raise substantial additional funding to continue the development of its product candidates, the timing and conduct of clinical trials of Auris Medical’s product candidates and that such trials will not meet their endpoints , the clinical utility of Auris Medical’s product candidates, the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, Auris Medical’s intellectual property position and Auris Medical’s financial position, including the impact of any future acquisitions, dispositions, partnerships, license transactions or changes to Auris Medical’s capital structure, including future securities offerings. These risks and uncertainties also include, but are not limited to, those described under the caption “Risk Factors” in Auris Medical’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2018 and future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Auris Medical does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Investor contact:

Joseph Green

Edison Advisors for Auris Medical

646-653-7030

   

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