Loss of sensory hair cells from exposure to certain licit drugs, such as aminoglycoside
antibiotics, can result in permanent hearing damage. Exogenous application of the
neurotrophic molecule hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) promotes neuronal cell survival in a
variety of contexts, including protecting hair cells from aminoglycoside ototoxicity. HGF itself
is not an ideal therapeutic due to a short half-life and limited blood-brain barrier
permeability. MM-201 is a chemically stable, blood-brain barrier permeable, synthetic HGF …