ENT meeting highlights GLP-1 research and gene therapy for hearing loss

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation will convene more than 5,000 otolaryngologists in Los Angeles from October 17 to 20, 2026, for its annual meeting and OTO EXPO. The program will present research spanning hearing, breathing, sleep, speech, balance, swallowing, and head and neck health, with topics ranging from GLP-1 medications to gene therapy for genetic hearing loss. The announcement is a preview of planned presentations and research directions rather than a report of one completed study, and it does not provide the methods, populations, effect estimates or conclusions for most individual projects.

One major theme concerns GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 medications, which the Academy says are becoming more common. Otolaryngology researchers are scheduled to examine questions involving thyroid cancer risk, cancer aggressiveness, obesity-related airway disease, surgical outcomes, and patient counseling. These are areas of investigation, not reported findings from the meeting preview. The release does not state whether any study establishes that these medications increase or reduce thyroid cancer risk or affect cancer aggressiveness, nor does it describe the populations or analytical methods used to address the other questions.

Other presentations will examine relationships between ear, nose, and throat health and broader medical outcomes. Researchers are investigating whether treatment of nasal nerves may reduce migraine-related disability in patients with rhinitis or chronic nasal congestion. Another study reportedly found elevated salivary gland cancer rates among patients with eating disorders, a qualitative result that the Academy says warrants further investigation. Additional studies will explore links between hearing loss, type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline, and healthy aging. A separate project will assess how seating location at a concert venue may affect noise exposure and hearing symptoms; the announcement does not establish that seating position causes lasting hearing damage.

Sleep apnea research will include work on hypoglossal nerve stimulation, an implanted therapy that activates the nerve controlling the tongue to help keep the airway open during sleep. The scheduled studies will examine potential effects on blood pressure, cardiovascular outcomes, glaucoma, and children with Down syndrome. The release presents these as outcomes under investigation and does not report evidence that the implanted therapy produces any of the stated benefits. It also does not identify whether the projects are randomized trials, observational studies or other forms of research, limiting what can be concluded about their design and eventual strength of evidence.

Gene therapy is another prominent area, with early studies of AK-OTOF and DB-OTO presented as potential routes toward hearing restoration for children with profound genetic hearing loss. The announcement reports the qualitative finding that these therapies may give affected children access to sound and new opportunities for speech and language development. It also describes a further trial extending gene therapy research into vestibular schwannoma and skull base care. The release does not provide participant numbers, follow-up periods, safety findings or numerical outcome data, so the preview does not establish clinical efficacy. Other scheduled work addresses “no-burp” syndrome, chronic sinus disease with nasal polyps, Ménière’s disease, and sudden hearing loss. Alongside the scientific program, the meeting will consider proposed Medicare payment cuts for certain same-day services, rising practice costs, and workforce challenges as pressures on access to care and physicians’ ability to invest in technology and patient services.

Subject of Research: Otolaryngology research on metabolic medications, gene therapy, hearing, sleep apnea, and care policy

Article Title: From GLP-1s to gene therapy: ENT’s next breakthroughs take center stage in Los Angeles

Article References: From GLP-1s to gene therapy: ENT’s next breakthroughs take center stage in Los Angeles. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: Not provided

Keywords: otolaryngology, AAO-HNSF 2026, GLP-1 medications, gene therapy, hearing restoration, AK-OTOF, DB-OTO, sleep apnea, hearing loss, medical policy, GLP-1s, gene