# Regeneron’s co-founder and CEO, Leonard Schleifer, said in a statement that the American taxpayers have shouldered a disproportionate share of the cost of biotechnology innovation.

*biotech · news · 2026-04-24 · ThePrint*

## Key points

- Regeneron's Otarmeni is the first therapy enabling deaf children to hear without implants.
- Otarmeni delivers a working otoferlin gene directly to the cochlea, avoiding traditional surgery.
- Other companies, including Eli Lilly and Skylark Bio, as well as China and France, are developing similar gene therapies.
- Scientists are starting to target the more complex GJB2 gene mutation responsible for 20% of congenital hearing loss.

**Companies:** Regeneron, Eli Lilly, Skylark Bio
**Countries:** United States, China, France

[Read the full story on ThePrint](https://theprint.in/feature/usa-fda-otarmeni-regeneron-deafness/2913077/)

---

Canonical: https://newsio.io/n/f5d3b3ac-6bdf-478c-8e98-9d4bcd1a737e/regenerons-co-founder-and-ceo-leonard-schleifer-said-in-a-statement-that-the-ame
Summarized by Newsio from ThePrint. https://newsio.io/how-it-works