Sound check

Third Rock Ventures is not the first VC to decide the time is right to enter the hearing loss space, but the firm thinks it is taking the broadest approach in the field. The VC last week launched Decibel Therapeutics Inc. with a $52 million series A and a basket of early stage programs.

Decibel's programs fall in one of three buckets: protecting, restoring or repairing hearing. Targets and other details about the programs are not disclosed. Neither are details about IP agreements with the company's four scientific co-founders...