Current pharmacological treatments for tinnitus

Introduction: Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound, is a highly prevalent disorder and treatment is elusive. Areas covered: This review focuses on clinical research regarding pharmacological treatments for tinnitus. The authors searched PubMed databases for English language articles related to pharmacological treatment of tinnitus, published through August 2012. The keywords tinnitus AND pharmacological treatment" and "tinnitus AND drugs" were used. The search focused on clinical trials, but was complemented by other articles and information from clinical trial registries. Expert opinion: Despite the significant unmet clinical need for a safe and effective drug for tinnitus relief, there is currently no EMA- or FDA-approved drug on the market. Even a drug that produces a small but significant effect would have a huge therapeutic impact. At present, evidence-based pharmacological approaches are limited to the treatment of comorbidities such as depression, anxiety, or insomnia. In the last few years there have been significant advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of the different forms of tinnitus, the establishment of valid animal models, and the development of clinical trial methodology. A glimpse of hope is appearing in the horizon as an increasing number of pharmaceutical industries now have compounds targeting tinnitus in their pipeline.