Our Approach and Portfolio
Rinri Therapeutics’ first-in-class therapy designed to replace damaged sensory cells in the inner ear to restore hearing, is expected to be tested in clinical trials in the UK in 2025. Our lead product Rincell-1, for the replacement of auditory neurons, is backed by outstanding nonclinical safety and efficacy data plus regulatory validation. Progress has been made to optimise the proprietary manufacturing process, improving yield, efficiency, potency, and purity.
Our proprietary approach to hearing restoration
Rinri Therapeutics generates cells for the restoration of hearing by reprogramming pluripotent cells into the early-stage auditory cells needed in the treatment, as the diagram shows. The company’s strong competitive position is based on the intellectual property protection of its cell manufacturing and delivery processes.
Proprietary technology platform to transform sensorineural hearing loss
Three breakthroughs by the Rinri Therapeutics team have enabled it to move towards clinical trials of its lead product, Rincell-1. The first of these was the development of the first functionally restorative human auditory sensory cells, using progenitor cells that can mature into functional auditory neurons. In preclinical studies , these cells reversed hearing loss and improved the hearing threshold by ~40%.
Secondly, working with ear, nose, and throat surgeons internationally we have modelled a safe and secure surgical access route to the central core of the cochlea, the area to which the cell therapies need to be delivered. The cochlea is buried deep in the skull, with little known about it anatomically, which has hampered progress in the treatment of hearing loss up to now.
Finally, Rinri has led a series of studies in which equipment used by clinicians to assess measures of cochlear health has been repurposed and used for longitudinal post-surgical self-assessment by cochlear implant recipients. This is a fantastic way of evaluating what normal cochlear health looks like in cochlear implant users as well as regions in the inner ear without any functional auditory neurons. Rinri can use that data to assess the safety and efficacy of our cell therapy treatments.
Accessing the central core of the cochlea
Our hearing restoration product portfolio
Our proprietary platform for auditory cell development and manufacturing enables us to develop a portfolio of differentiated products to tackle different aspects of hearing loss. The first potential treatment in Rinri Therapeutics’ portfolio, Rincell-1, is being developed to regenerate auditory neurones. Our second and third programmes are at an earlier stage of development – Rincell-2 is also targeting the replacement of auditory neurones using a different type of cell, while Rincell-3 is focused on hair cell replacement.
Rinri Therapeutics’ hearing restoration portfolio