A Breakthrough? New drug holds promise in quieting tinnitus
Research scientists supported by Action for Tinnitus Research are keen to investigate a promising new drug for tinnitus sufferers. The drug known as 'Campral' (or Acamprosate), originally developed by the French company Merck-Lipha, was reported on at the latest Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology �, held in Los Angeles this September.
Campral (acamprosate calcium), a drug used to help alcoholics stay dry, was tested in a 50-patient tinnitus study by researchers in Brazil. Half of the tinnitus patients received the drug - the other half received a placebo. After three months, 83% of those who took the drug reported some degree of tinnitus improvement, including 13% who said their tinnitus disappeared.
However, there are weaknesses in the study. Experts and our own research scientists are advising caution in accepting these results just yet � due to the small sample size of the study. More studies are needed to determine the drug's true effectiveness.
Mr Peter Rea, otologist and lead clinician at the Leicester Royal Infirmary Hearing and Balance Centre, attended the US conference. He is is also part of the research group at Leicester supported by ATR currently engaged in understanding how tinnitus may arise in patients after damage to the inner ear. He told us "This is an interesting first report of the use of Campral for treating tinnitus and provides grounds for cautious optimism". He added "We need to see if we can replicate these findings in a larger group of carefully screened patients here in the UK . We would want to follow up these patients for a longer time period to see if their tinnitus was consistently reduced and to monitor incidence of any side effects."
Mr Rea explained that "Campral has a similar structure to a group of very important molecules we call neurotransmitters. These enable the nerve cells in our brain to communicate with each other. Campral resembles a neurotransmitter we call GABA. In this case it may be acting by binding at the receptor sites for GABA in the brain". He explained "Actions by Campral at these sites on nerve cells in the brain may be acting to reduce excessive nerve cell activity in that in turn is directly responsible for tinnitus. Alternatively it may be acting to reduce the awareness of the tinnitus by the patient".
Action for Tinnitus Research is calling for a dedicated research programme in the UK to investigate Campral and other drugs further and to validate their long-term effectiveness in treating tinnitus. This concerted global approach to research will offer new hope for the millions of tinnitus sufferers worldwide.
With acknowledgement to the American Tinnitus Association - "In the News"
� The 109th Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation in Los Angeles, Sept. 25-28, 2005
