Otonomy: Delivering an earful

Standard of care pharmacotherapies for inner and middle ear disorders use liquid formulations, which can lead to suboptimal dosing because much drug is lost via drainage through the Eustachian tube. Otonomy Inc. hopes its sustained-release gel technology will provide more convenient and reliable dosing.

No drugs currently are approved for inner and middle ear disorders that cause hearing and balance loss, like Meniere's disease, so ear drop or injectable formulations of steroids are often used off label. For middle ear infections like otitis media, similar formulations of antibiotics are used...