Charity comments on world-first gene therapy trial

Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge has announced encouraging interim outcomes in a world-first trial to see whether gene therapy can provide hearing for children with severe to profound hearing loss due to a rare genetic condition.

Martin McLean, Senior Policy Advisor at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:

“Many families will welcome these developments, and we look forward to learning about the long-term outcomes for the children treated. This trial will teach us more about the effectiveness of gene therapy in those cases where deafness has a specific genetic cause.

“We would like to emphasise that, with the right support from the start, deafness should never be a barrier to happiness or fulfilment. As a charity, we support families to make informed choices about medical technologies, so that they can give their deaf child the best possible start in life.”