At a glance
- What the study gets you
- Access to the study treatment being tested
- Type of study
- Interventional (receives a drug or procedure)
- Time in hospital
- In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
- Drug or intervention
- DB-OTO (genetic)
- How long the study runs
- Study runs about 104 months (dates as stated)
- About the drug or intervention
- DB-OTO — genetic: Administered per the protocol
- Patient visit burden
- Not specified by the sponsor
In plain English
This study tests DB-OTO, a gene therapy, in infants, children, teenagers and adults whose hearing loss is caused by changes (mutations) in a gene called otoferlin (OTOF). DB-OTO uses a harmless virus (adeno-associated virus, or AAV) to deliver a working copy of the gene into the inner ear. The study is funded by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Who can take part
- Hearing loss caused by two faulty copies of the OTOF gene
- Profound sensorineural hearing loss (over 90 decibels) diagnosed by the study doctor, based on hearing tests including auditory brainstem response (ABR)
- Tests showing that the outer hair cells in the ear to be treated are working (otoacoustic emissions, or a cochlear microphonic test for those over 24 months)
- Willingness to give consent (a parent or guardian for children), agree to genetic testing, and follow the childhood vaccination schedule where relevant
- Able to have all the study checks needed
- Normal enough blood test results at screening
- No sign that hearing loss depends on body temperature
- Those who can have children must use highly effective contraception and avoid pregnancy or fathering a child during the 48-week short-term follow-up period
Who may not be able to
- Previous treatment with gene therapy
- Ear anatomy that would make the planned surgery difficult or impossible (checked with CT or MRI scans)
- Other permanent or untreatable causes of hearing loss
- Current or past cancer
- Current or past meningitis
- A cochlear implant in the ear to be treated
- Other risk factors for auditory neuropathy not caused by OTOF, such as prematurity, low birth weight, severe jaundice, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, or low Apgar scores
What taking part involves
- • DB-OTO gene therapy is delivered by surgery into the inner ear (cochlea) of the ear(s) being treated
- • Genetic testing to check hearing-loss-related genes
- • Hearing tests and blood tests at screening
- • Imaging scans (CT or MRI) to check the ear anatomy before treatment
Time commitment: Not fully stated — the short-term follow-up period lasts 48 weeks, and participants have screening tests (genetic, hearing, blood and scans) plus surgery to deliver the treatment; ask the trial team about the number and timing of visits and the full study duration.
Plain-English summary (AI-generated) from registry data. Not eligibility advice — only the trial team can confirm whether you can take part. Use the eligibility checker to see how your health profile matches this trial.
- Type of study
- Testing a treatment
- Ages
- Not specified
- Who
- All
- Number of participants
- 36
- Started
- 2023-06-27
- Last checked
- 2026-08
Plain English Summary
What is this study?
- • Testing a new treatment for congenital hearing loss secondary to biallelic mutations of the otoferlin gene (otof)
- • Phase1/Phase2 - 36 participants
- • Regeneron is conducting a study of an investigational new drug called DB-OTO
Who can take part?
- • Adults
- • Diagnosed with congenital hearing loss secondary to biallelic mutations of the otoferlin gene (otof)
Where?
- • Cambridge - Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS FT
- • London - Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust
This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.
About This Trial
Regeneron is conducting a study of an investigational new drug called DB-OTO. DB-OTO is a gene therapy that is being developed to treat pediatric and adult participants who have severe-to profound and profound hearing loss due to changes in the otoferlin gene. The purpose of this study is to: * Learn about the safety of DB-OTO * Determine how well DB-OTO is tolerated (does not cause ongoing discomfort) * Evaluate the efficacy of DB-OTO (how well DB-OTO works)
More detail
Former Sponsor Decibel Therapeutics
How this trial compares with your answers
Answer 2 more questions to improve match
What we know so far
Still need:
- • Tell us your age for better matching
- • Tell us your sex for better matching
Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.
Eligibility at a Glance
Key info
- Age: Not specified
- Who can join: All genders
What the study is looking for
- ✓Presence of biallelic, likely pathogenic or pathogenic OTOF variants
- ✓No clinically significant laboratory findings on clinical laboratory tests at time of Screening as described in the...
- ✓Audiological Criteria:
- ✓Investigator diagnoses the participant with profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL; \>90 dB HL) based on...
- ✓No evidence from measures of hearing loss that show a dependence on body temperature
Who cannot take part
- ✗History of prior treatment with gene therapy
- ✗History or presence of other permanent or untreatable hearing loss conditions
- ✗Prior or current history of malignancies
- ✗Prior or current history of meningitis
- ✗History or presence of cochlear implants in the ear(s) to be infused with DB-OTO
See the full criteria
Where Is This Study? (2 UK sites)
Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS FT
Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust
London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom
How to Get in Touch
Clinical Trials Administrator
Sponsor contactCONTACT
