Lineage Cell Therapeutics Partners with William Demant Invest for Auditory Neuronal Cell Transplant Research

Lineage Cell Therapeutics has entered a research pact with William Demant Invest to advance its ReSonance auditory neuronal cell transplant for hearing loss treatment. The multi-year collaboration will cover preclinical development activities, with WDI funding up to $12M in research costs. The partnership aims to support a potential IND/CTA filing.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics has entered a multi-year research pact with William Demant Invest (WDI) to advance its ReSonance auditory neuronal cell transplant for treating hearing loss. The collaboration, announced on July 2, 2025, will focus on preclinical development activities, with WDI committing up to $12 million in research costs [1].

Through this partnership, Lineage will collaborate with Eriksholm Research Centre, a part of Demant subsidiary Oticon, to conduct research supporting an investigational new drug (IND) application for ReSonance. The collaboration includes work on cell manufacturing, proof-of-concept studies, translational models, and regulatory strategies [1].

ReSonance is designed to transplant off-the-shelf auditory neurons into patients' cochleas to restore hearing, targeting hearing loss caused by damage to auditory nerve cells, known as auditory neuropathy. This condition can be challenging to treat with traditional methods like hearing aids or cochlear implants [1].

The partnership builds on Lineage's existing expertise in cell transplant technologies, with the company's lead program, OpRegen, in phase 2a development for age-related macular degeneration, and OPC1 for spinal cord injuries in phase 1/2a development [2].

References:
[1] https://www.fiercebiotech.com/research/lineage-cell-therapeutics-tunes-hearing-loss-transplant-12m-research-pact
[2] https://www.marketscreener.com/news/lineage-cell-therapeutics-inc-announces-research-collaboration-with-william-demant-invest-to-devel-ce7c50ded98bf621