Skylark Bio launches first-in-human gene therapy trial targeting deafness

Skylark Bio, which has operated in stealth, announced that it has dosed the first patient in a gene-therapy trial aimed at treating hearing loss. The study marks the company's entry into the emerging field of genetic treatments for deafness.

The move follows Regeneron’s recent FDA approval of an ototoxin-related gene therapy that restored hearing in a small group of children with a rare mutation. That success has spurred interest in targeting other genetic causes of hearing loss.

Biotech firms in the United States, France and China are now competing to develop therapies for different mutations, including the widely studied GJB2 gene. Skylark’s trial adds another candidate to the pipeline as the industry seeks broader solutions for deafness.