Category: 2022

Specialist tinnitus service, Neuromod, is offering free assessments to people living with tinnitus to mark its sponsorship of the Tinnitus UK’s Tinnitus Week, which runs from 7th – 13th February 2022.

Anyone who books a tinnitus assessment with Ótologie, from 7th – 13th February, will get the assessment, which normally costs £85, free of charge.

Owned by medical devices company, Neuromod Devices Ltd, Ótologie is a specialist healthcare service for people living with tinnitus, in the UK and throughout Europe, to avoid waiting lists and give them immediate access to treatment for their tinnitus.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus, commonly known as “ringing in the ears” affects between 10 and 15% of the global adult population(i) and the BTA estimates that more than seven million people suffer from this condition in the UK alone(ii).

A recent poll by Neuromod found that more than three quarters of people living from tinnitus in the UK have never received any treatment for their condition.

The research, which polled 251 people with tinnitus across the UK, found that 76.1% of respondents have never used any form of tinnitus treatment. It also revealed that 67.7% of those polled don’t feel adequately informed about tinnitus.

For those who have sought treatment for their tinnitus, a consultation with an ENT is commonplace. However, COVID-19 continues to impact the health service’s ability to provide care to people with tinnitus. As of November 2021, the most recently available statistics from the NHS, 45% of people on referral to treatment waiting lists for ENTs had been waiting for more than 18 weeks(iii).

What is Included in a Free Tinnitus Assessment?

A dedicated tinnitus assessment includes more than a hearing test, as this condition affects the auditory, attentional, and emotional areas of a patient’s brain. The free assessment is conducted by one of Ótologie’s audiologists and includes an evaluation of tinnitus using clinical standards designed specifically for the condition, a full medical evaluation, a hearing test and, based on the results of all these diagnostics, a treatment recommendation.

This allows the audiologist to fully understand how the tinnitus is affecting every individual patient’s life.

Speaking on this initiative, Ms. Lia Bresnihan, Managing Director at Ótologie said: “The tinnitus experience varies greatly from person-to-person. The condition affects the auditory, attentional, and emotional areas of your brain. That’s why it is so important to have an assessment from a qualified audiologist if you have been suffering from tinnitus for more than three months. People who struggle with tinnitus often suffer in silence as they may think that because there is no cure for tinnitus, that there is no treatment that will help them. By offering free assessments, we are hoping to inform patients as best we can about their condition and to empower them to do something about that annoying ringing in their ears.”

Tinnitus UK Tinnitus Week Free Tinnitus Assessment

To avail of a free tinnitus assessment visit www.otologie.com/bta, book a call and use the promotional code BTAWEEK. Tinnitus assessments normally cost a patient £85. The assessment, which a patient can choose at a day and time that suits them, will be done via a video call.

Furthermore, to mark Tinnitus Week, Ótologie is also hosting a free webinar, ‘Living with tinnitus: What are the treatment options?’, which will take place on Thursday 10th February at 1pm.
This session, which will be delivered by Ótologie’s specialist audiologists Helen MacMahon and Clodagh Kelly, will help attendees to better understand their tinnitus; provide practical advice for how to best manage tinnitus; and detail the various treatment options available to patients.

Ms. Bresnihan added, “We are delighted to partner with the British Tinnitus Association as a sponsor of their Tinnitus Week. The BTA’s mission is to drive progress towards a cure and to deliver excellent support to help people living with tinnitus. This aligns with our mission at Ótologie to provide groundbreaking tinnitus care that improves the lives of many. Also, I would encourage anyone who is looking to learn more about their tinnitus, or if they have a loved one or friend with tinnitus and they just want to learn more about the condition, to sign up for our free webinar on Thursday 10th February”.

About Ótologie

Ótologie is an effective, patient-centred service that provides ground-breaking tinnitus care to improve the lives of people living with this condition every day and it has been established to address the growing healthcare need for people with tinnitus.

Its specialist audiologists and psychotherapists, have extensive experience treating tinnitus patients with the latest evidence-based treatments. They follow clinical best practices to assess each patient and recommend a personalised treatment plan from treatment options such as of Lenire, tinnitus therapy (CBT), or hearing aids for tinnitus. Combining these treatment options and the company’s technology-led platform, which offers next day appointments.

In 2021, Neuromod piloted a telehealth service to treat tinnitus patients in Ireland and throughout Europe. Due to the success of the pilot, which allowed patients to progress to treatment within days of contacting the service and avoid waiting lists for public ENT appointments, Neuromod established Ótologie, early in 2022, to provide quick access to tinnitus care from qualified healthcare professionals.

Ótologie streamlines the typical healthcare journey for tinnitus patients, offering them next day appointments which they can attend online or in-clinic. Its team of audiologists and therapists, specifically trained in treating tinnitus, have extensive experience treating patients with evidence-based treatments.

References

(i) Baguley D, McFerran D, Hall D. Tinnitus. Lancet 2013:382 (9904):1600-7
(ii) British Tinnitus Association – https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/blog/more-people-living-with-tinnitus-than-previously-thought
(iii) NHS – https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/01/Nov21-RTT-SPN-publication.pdf

Irish medical device company, Neuromod Devices Ltd, has launched Ótologie, a specialist healthcare service for people living with tinnitus. This new service will enable tinnitus patients, in Ireland and throughout Europe, to avoid waiting lists and give them immediate access to treatment for tinnitus.

The establishment of Ótologie follows a successful pilot of a telehealth service for tinnitus patients by Neuromod and the publication of analysis by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association which found that approximately 77,000 patients were on waiting lists for public ENT services. Through engagement with consultant ENTs, Neuromod estimates up to 15,000 of these are tinnitus patients.

In 2021, Neuromod piloted a telehealth service to treat tinnitus patients in Ireland and throughout Europe. This pilot complemented Neuromod’s in-person treatment services at its clinic in Dublin, allowing patients to attend appointments and proceed with treatment at the clinic or via video call according to their preference.

Due to the success of the pilot, which allowed patients to progress to treatment within days of contacting the service and avoid waiting lists for public ENT appointments, Neuromod established Ótologie to provide quick access to tinnitus care from qualified healthcare professionals who can prescribe a range of proven treatments including Lenire, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and hearing aids.

The service streamlines the typical healthcare journey for tinnitus patients, offering them next day appointments which they can attend online or in-clinic. Neuromod’s clinic, located at the Hermitage clinic in Dublin, has been renamed from Neuromod Medical to Ótologie in preparation for the launch of the service.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus, a condition commonly known as ‘ringing in the ears’, affects between 10 and 15% of the global population and could affect up to 500,000 people in Ireland.

However, in a recent study more than 60% of GPs reported that they do not follow routine criteria for onward referral of tinnitus patients and expressed a need for more access to specialist resources for these patients, demonstrating the need for specialist care services for tinnitus, such as Ótologie, which people seeking treatment can contact directly or be referred to by their current physician.

Specialist Tinnitus Clinic

Speaking on the launch of Ótologie, Dr Ross O’Neill, CEO of Neuromod Devices said: “Waiting lists for tinnitus patients are not only stressful for the patients themselves but they are also a burden on the health system. From publicly available figures and our engagement with the healthcare system we estimate that today, there are 15,000 people suffering from tinnitus on a waiting list to access specialist public ENT care.”

“Furthermore, recent research has shown that waiting times for an ENT referral can be up to four years in some parts of Ireland. This study also highlighted the distress these lengthy waiting lists put on people living with tinnitus. It also showed that GPs and ENTs alike acknowledged the need for better access to ENT or audiology services for tinnitus. With Ótologie, our vision is to tackle this significant healthcare challenge by enabling patients to get started with treatment as soon as possible from anywhere in the country or indeed Europe. Our long-term aim is to create the first globally recognised approach to tinnitus care and management.”

Ótologie’s team of audiologists and therapists, specifically trained in treating tinnitus, have extensive experience treating patients with evidence-based treatments. Following clinical best practices, they assess each patient and recommend a personalised treatment plan from options which include the Lenire tinnitus treatment device; Tinnitus Therapy (a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT); or hearing aids suitable for people with tinnitus.

Ótologie’s Head of Tinnitus Care, audiologist Anita Sayers said: “Our experience, since we opened the Neuromod Medical clinic in 2019, from talking to our patients is that there is a lot of frustration in the lack of a clearly defined tinnitus patient pathway in Ireland, as well as the lack of clinically effective treatment options for people living with this condition.”

She continued: “People who live with tinnitus are looking for credible, expert advice and treatment plans to help them manage the impact that bothersome tinnitus has on their day-to-day life. With Ótologie, our goal is to build a patient centered service to provide groundbreaking and evidence-based tinnitus treatments, coupled with the empathy that patients need to feel supported at every stage of their tinnitus journey. We are really excited to be able to expand our services and tinnitus care offerings, all under the new Ótologie name.”

The launch of Ótologie follows Neuromod’s establishment of its US subsidiary, Neuromod USA Inc. To date Neuromod has raised significant venture equity and debt financing to fund ongoing expansion of the availability of Lenire in Europe and the organisation’s FDA submission process in the US.

This funding has been led by Fountain Healthcare Partners, an international life science focussed venture capital fund which invests in entrepreneurs and companies with disruptive technologies or products that have a clear pharmacoeconomic benefit.

Tinnitus Treatment Options

• Lenire – Lenire, a non-invasive bimodal neuromodulation device, has been proven in large-scale clinical trials to soothe the symptoms of tinnitus. Lenire delivers mild electrical pulses to the tongue combined with sound played through headphones to drive long-term changes, or neuroplasticity, in the brain to treat tinnitus.
• Tinnitus Therapy – Tinnitus Therapy is a form of psychotherapy which aims to change a patient’s perception of their tinnitus and minimise its impact on their life.
• Hearing Aids for Tinnitus – Hearing loss is one of the most common causes of tinnitus and improving a patients hearing can improve their symptoms. Ótologie offers a range of hearing aids, and ongoing support.

About Ótologie

Ótologie is an effective, patient-centred service that provides ground-breaking tinnitus care to improve the lives of people living with this condition every day and it has been established to address the growing healthcare need for people with tinnitus.

Its specialist audiologists and psychotherapists, have extensive experience treating tinnitus patients with the latest evidence-based treatments. They follow clinical best practices to assess each patient and recommend a personalised treatment plan from treatment options such as of Lenire, tinnitus therapy (CBT), or hearing aids for tinnitus. Combining these treatment options and the company’s technology-led platform, which offers next day appointments, Ótologie’s vision is to create the first globally recognised approach to tinnitus care and management. For more information visit www.otologie.com.

References

• (i) 15,000 waiting list number is based on a 20% estimation of a recent study by the IHCA, stating there were 77,000 people on ENT waiting lists as of November 2021 – https://www.ihca.ie/news-and-publications/77000-people-on-ent-waiting-lists-some-waiting-up-to-five-years-%E2%80%94-cancer-diagnoses-could-be-missed-says-surgeon
• (ii) Kilroy, Naomi & Refaie, Amr. (2020). Tinnitus management in Ireland: a pilot study of general practitioners. Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -). 189. 1-11. 10.1007/s11845-020-02222-6.**

Tinnitus is US Veteran Association’s largest and fastest growing cause of service-connected disability

Neuromod Devices Ltd, the medical device company which specialises in neuromodulation technologies, has announced the appointment of Ms. Teri Minard as Director, Government Sales of its recently established US entity, Neuromod USA Inc.

As Director of Government Sales, Ms. Minard will oversee Neuromod’s efforts to introduce its interventions for tinnitus into the public hearing healthcare ecosystem by partnering with relevant government organisations. Neuromod’s initial area of focus will be to provide tinnitus interventions for US Veterans by building relationships with the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Department of Defense, and other key government stakeholders.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is believed to affect between 10 and 15% of the global population. In the United States it is estimated that almost 50 million people suffer from this neurological condition(i), commonly referred to as ‘ringing in the ears’. Of these, roughly 20 million people struggle with burdensome chronic tinnitus(ii).

According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, more than two million U.S. Veterans receive disability payments for service-connected tinnitus. This unmet clinical need makes tinnitus the department’s largest and fastest growing cause of service-connected disability(iii).

Neuromod Appoints Teri Minard for Veterans Introduction

Ms. Minard joins Neuromod from the multinational conglomerate, 3M where she had an extensive career driving business growth with global responsibilities for strategic planning, business development, and sales and marketing. Her appointment comes as Neuromod prepares to enter the US market with its proprietary medical device for tinnitus treatment, pending the granting of approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Speaking on the appointment of Ms. Minard, Mr. Eric Timm, CEO of Neuromod USA commented: “Teri is an entrepreneur at heart and has a proven track record of building businesses across a variety of industries. Teri’s role is important to our ambition of meeting the needs of Veterans living with tinnitus in the USA and I’m very much looking forward to working with her as she leads the development of our services in this area.”

Ms. Minard holds a Master’s degree of Business Administration and Management from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and Arizona State University, and is a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

Neuromod U.S.A. Expanding

Speaking on her appointment, Ms. Minard said: “Neuromod’s vision to introduce an evidence-based neuromodulation treatment has the required ambition to resolve the unmet clinical need that tinnitus presents for Veterans in the USA. I’m looking forward to working with the wider Neuromod team to make that vision a reality.”

Ms. Minard is the latest addition to Neuromod USA’s leadership team. The organisation was established earlier in 2021 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Neuromod Devices Ltd. In September the organisation announced the appointment of Mr. Eric Timm, an experience hearing healthcare executive, as CEO of Neuromod USA. In August, the company announced the formation of its leadership team with the hiring of three executives with previous hearing healthcare experience. Stephanie Glowacki joined the organization as Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Tish Ramirez (AuD) as Chief Commercial Officer, and Holly Dean as Director, Commercial Sales.

Neuromod specializes in non-invasive neuromodulation technologies and has developed Lenire, the first non-invasive bimodal neuromodulation device for the treatment of tinnitus which has been clinically proven in large-scale clinical trials to soothe tinnitus symptoms. To date Neuromod has raised significant venture equity and debt financing to fund ongoing expansion of the availability of Lenire in Europe and the organisation’s FDA submission process in the US.

This funding has been led by Fountain Healthcare Partners, an international life science focussed venture capital fund which invests in entrepreneurs and companies with disruptive technologies or products that have a clear pharmacoeconomic benefit.

What is Lenire?

Lenire uses bimodal neuromodulation to treat tinnitus symptoms. It delivers mild electrical pulses to the tongue combined with sound played through headphones to drive long-term changes or neuroplasticity in the brain to treat tinnitus.

Lenire is currently available from clinics in Ireland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland. It is prescribed and fitted under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional who specialises in the field of tinnitus treatment such as audiologists and Consultant Otolaryngologists or ENTs (Ear, Nose and Throat).

The device has been used in large-scale clinical trials with over 500 patients. The first of these clinical trials, involving 326 participants, was published in October 2020 as the cover story in the internationally renowned journal Science Translational Medicine and reported significant improvements in patients’ tinnitus symptoms(iv). 86.2% of treatment-compliant participants reported an improvement in their tinnitus symptoms after a 12-week treatment period. When followed up 12 months post treatment, 80.1% of these participants had sustained the improvements. This study represents one of the largest and longest followed-up clinical trials ever conducted in the tinnitus field(v).

References

• (i) American Tinnitus Association, (https://www.ata.org/understanding-facts)
• (ii) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011 – 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
• (iii) USVA Annual Benefits Report 2019
• (iv) As measured by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory score
• (v) Conlon et al., Sci. Transl. Med. 12, eabb2830 (2020)