- Author
- Posted by JeanKage, with replies from many commenters
- Published
- 27 April 2026
- Kind
- Hacker News discussion thread about an FDA press release
- Original
- news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47919733
- Subject
- Science and medicine
What it is
JeanKage posted the FDA announcement of Otarmeni, made by Regeneron, and readers replied. The therapy treats hearing loss tied to the OTOF gene. The thread is the source described here.
What it says
- The FDA release says approval came 61 days after filing, under a voucher program.
- The release reports 24 trial patients, with 80% of 20 evaluable ones improving.
- Aurornis notes the therapy covers a subtype that makes up 2-8% of genetic cases.
- Commenters dispute whether current federal health leadership deserves credit for the approval.
- A long sub-thread debates whether treating deafness threatens Deaf culture and sign language.
- Noaidi wants ten-year outcomes and asks about the vector spreading beyond the injection site.
- The commenter arjie cites CNBC saying the therapy will be free for eligible patients.
What evidence it gives
Commenters cite the FDA release, an NPR story and company press releases. The release gives a single-arm trial of 24 patients. Most replies are opinion or personal accounts, including several from people with hearing loss.
Interests and limits
Commenters are self-selected readers on one site. Political and cultural exchanges are heated and rest on opinion. The trial result comes from a regulator release on a single-arm study. The NPR, CNBC and journal articles were not opened. The release calls the approval accelerated and says continued approval may depend on durability.