STAT+ reported that Skylark Bio dosed its first patient in a gene therapy trial targeting hearing loss associated with GJB2 mutations. The move follows renewed attention on gene therapy in hearing, including Regeneron’s FDA-approved Otoferlin therapy for select genetic deafness. Skylark’s first-in-human dosing suggests additional competition is accelerating around highly targeted monogenic hearing loss indications, where clinical proof can be rapidly recognized due to clear audiologic endpoints. For the gene therapy sector, the update highlights how quickly second-wave programs can launch once safety and efficacy signals emerge in similar genetic pathways.