Neurodegenerative diseases / Deafness
AF243 : a drug to restore hearing.
The World Health Organization estimated in 2005 that 278 million people in the world suffered from a severe or moderate bilateral auditory deficiency, that is 4,2% of the world population.
Only 25% of the people concerned are equipped with hearing aids in the developed nations.
The market is far from being saturated and remains open to innovative solutions.
The biotechnology breakthroughs make it possible for the first time to conceive of therapeutic solutions hitherto unimaginable.
The neurodegenerative diseases, such as deafness, Alzheimer's disease or retinopathies, result from the deterioration and the loss of neurons. The capacity of the neurons to regenerate is however poor and limited.
After encouraging in vitro tests showing that AF243 induced dendrite formation on precursor neurons and neuronal differentiation, Affichem validated in vivo the efficacy of AF243 on a neuronal degeneration model causing hearing loss. AF243 shows nerve repair properties equivalent to a combination of neurotrophic factors.
These data make AF243 a unique drug candidate for the treatment of the various causes of deafness related to the dysfunction of the inner ear.
All these properties will be exploited in other types of neurodegenerative diseases in particular retinopathy, medullary lesions (spinal cord), Parkinson or Alzheimer's disease.