In 2024, RNID was selected as the UK BioIndustry Association’s (BIA) charity of the year – a unique opportunity for us to spotlight the growing potential of hearing therapeutics and increase financial support for hearing research.
Who is the BIA?
With over 600 members, the BIA plays a central role in connecting and championing the UK biotech and innovative life sciences sector. It brings together businesses ranging from start-ups and SMEs to universities and research institutions through to pharma and large corporates – to help them launch, expand, and drive transformative innovation.
Through our partnership, the BIA and our Hearing Therapeutics Initiative (HTI) raised awareness of the commercial opportunities in hearing research and the potential to improve lives for people with hearing loss and tinnitus.
By engaging with investors, biotech leaders and researchers, we aimed to encourage greater involvement in hearing therapeutics development.
Recent achievements within hearing therapeutics
The hearing therapeutics landscape is entering a transformative phase. In 2023, a world-first clinical trial got underway to explore whether gene therapy could restore hearing in children with OTOF-related hearing loss. Since then, a wave of innovation has followed, with multiple therapeutic candidates now entering clinical trials, with each trial targeting different causes of hearing loss.
We believe that bringing these groundbreaking treatments to the people who need them will require a cross-sector, collaborative approach to research and development. This belief is what shaped the foundation of our work with the BIA.
Collaborating to raise awareness of hearing research
To make the most of the BIA’s reach and influence, we produced expert-led content in collaboration with academic, clinical, and industry voices. This content explored the hearing therapeutics landscape from multiple perspectives, helping to build understanding and spark interest across the bioscience community.
One example is our joint webinar with the BIA, ‘Preparing for clinical trials in a novel therapeutic area’, which you can watch on YouTube.
Reflecting on the importance of the partnership, Jane Wall, Managing Director of the BIA, said:
“Our partnership with RNID has been a valuable opportunity to understand the challenges faced by people experiencing hearing loss and tinnitus and to highlight the innovations transforming this field.
Encouraging a more inclusive environment where those with hearing loss can participate fully in the life sciences workforce, and championing initiatives such as RNID’s Hearing Therapeutics Summit were highlights of the partnership.
Collaborations like this help advance research and improve the lives of people with hearing loss and tinnitus.”
Impact and strategic outcomes
The partnership led to an increased interest in hearing therapeutics across the biotech and life sciences sector. Membership of our Hearing Therapeutics Initiative network grew throughout the year, and we were able to test new ideas for future industry collaborations.
One example included exploring how to convene the sector to address key challenges, such as the lack of consistency in clinical trial outcome measures and the need for accelerator models to strengthen translational research.
Harriet Oppenheimer, CEO of RNID, highlighted the momentum behind the initiative:
“This partnership came at a pivotal moment in global hearing loss research and helped boost our efforts to accelerate the development and discovery of life-changing treatments for those who want them.”
Ongoing commitment to sector engagement
While our year-long partnership with the BIA is at an end, it has been instrumental in propelling the impact and awareness of the HTI forwards. Looking ahead, we will continue to:
- Raise the profile of hearing therapeutics as a viable space for investment
- Deepen engagement with the BIA and its members to shape future strategic initiatives
- Produce informative, expert-led content for our HTI network members
These efforts are central to our mission to support world-class research to find new treatments that prevent hearing loss, restore hearing and silence tinnitus.
Join our Hearing Therapeutics Initiative Network
Learn more about how BIA helps the biotech industry to influence, connect and save at www.bioindustry.org