The U.S. military is actively testing an experimental drug that may prevent noise-induced hearing loss. If the drug is approved by federal regulators, it would be the first one to prevent hearing loss.
The U.S. military is actively testing an experimental drug that may prevent noise-induced hearing loss. The compound being evaluated, d-methionine, is an amino acid commonly found in meat, fish and dairy products.
Synthesized into a liquid drug by Kathleen C.M. Campbell, an audiologist and professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, the compound is now in a Phase 3 Food and Drug Administration-sanctioned study that began in late 2013. It is being tested on soldiers who spend much of their time on the firing ranges at the Fort Jackson military base in South Carolina. The sound of an M16 rifle reaches 155 decibels, much louder than a jackhammer.
If the drug is approved by federal regulators, it would be the first one to prevent hearing loss. Needless to say, the ramifications go far beyond the military and could help millions of people prevent hearing loss, especially those who work in very noisy industries.