Sensorion and Cochlear Limited announced the initiation of a pilot study of the first-in-class small molecule drug SENS-401 (Arazasetron) in patients scheduled for cochlear implantation. The study will be sponsored by Sensorion and the proposed design is expected to be submitted to the regulatory authorities in the second half of 2021. The results of Sensorion's in vivo preclinical studies on the use of SENS-401 in conjunction with cochlear transplantation were encouraging.

In an established preclinical model, the combination of SENS-401 with cochlear implants preserved residual acoustic hearing at statistically significant levels at a frequency located beyond the electrode array, compared to placebo. In the preclinical study, drug or placebo was delivered via an eluting electrode. The new clinical study will explore the potential efficacy of SENS-401 in combination with cochlear implants.