In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug to help prevent hearing loss. This drug lowers the chance of hearing damage caused by certain cancer treatments. Right now, there are no FDA-approved drugs to prevent or treat disorders caused by noise, such as hearing loss and ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Scientists are testing new treatments to see if they can stop hearing loss or restore hearing. To help with this research, a working group called Pharmaceutical Interventions for Hearing Loss was created.

The PIHL working group includes experts from the military, veterans' hospitals, schools, and businesses. They meet to talk about:

• New research, including studies and trials.
• How to conduct research the right way.
• Technology needed to help the military.

The PIHL group holds teleconferences, in-person meetings, and creates smaller teams to focus on specific topics.

In 2025, the PIHL working group held a half-day event during the midwinter meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. At this event, experts from universities and industries shared updates on developing drugs for inner ear conditions.

PIHL group publications:

• PIHL Group Publications Pharmaceutical Interventions for Hearing Loss Clinical Research Guidance Papers (2016). Otol Neurotol. 37(8):e261-2.
• Noise in the Military (2017). Hearing Res. 349:1-222.
• Special Topics in Clinical Monitoring (2018). Int J Aud. 57:sup 4.
• Cellular Mechanisms of Ototoxicity (2018). Front Cell Neurosci. 12:75.
• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Translating Risk from Animal Models to Real World Environments (2019). J Acoust Soc Amer, 146.
• Noise-Induced Hearing Disorders: Clinical and Investigational Tools (2022). J Acoust Soc Amer, online collection.