Sound Pharmaceuticals Presents Results on Auditory Hair Cell Regeneration Technology

SEATTLE, WA February 24th, 2004

Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SPI) presented their findings on the stimulation of cellular regeneration at the 27th annual meeting of the Association for Researchers in Otolaryngology in Daytona Beach, FL.

p27Kip1 is a protein that keeps sensory cells within the hearing organ (organ of Corti) from proliferating and regenerating in postnatal and adult mammals. In the current studies, organ of Corti cultures were infected with Adenovirus expressing RNAi targeted at p27Kip1 mRNA. Data from these studies indicate a dramatic reduction in p27 levels and a robust induction of supporting cell proliferation. Supporting cell proliferation is a rate-limiting step in regenerating auditory hair cells and is dependent on the reduction or inhibition of p27. In addition to antisense oligonucleotides, SPI has validated RNAi as a method to inhibit p27 in the cochlea of developing mice. Studies designed to evaluate the efficacy of this approach in adult mice and guinea pigs are underway.

Hair cell regeneration to improve or restore hearing in persons with permanent hearing loss is a significant product pipeline for Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc. SPI previously announced that its patent, Method for the treatment of diseases or disorders of the inner ear, was issued in Europe, effective Oct. 1, 2003. “We are the only group that has demonstrated the ability to stimulate proliferative regeneration in the cochlea of mammals,” says Dr. Jonathan Kil, President & CEO. “It is anticipated that this revolutionary technology will be critical in developing treatments to restore hearing in humans.” Portions of this work were funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a drug development company focused on treating hearing loss. To date, SPI’s drug discovery program has identified targets for the prevention of hearing loss and improvement of hearing in individuals with hearing loss. For more information, please visit http://www.soundpharmaceuticals.com.

CONTACT: Dr. Jonathan Kil, President & CEO, Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 4010 Stone Way N Suite 120, Seattle WA 98103, jkil@soundpharmaceuticals.com, 206-634-2559