TL;DR
Hearing that is gone has mostly stayed gone; the fix has been a hearing aid or an implant. A large trial now hints that a plain pill might put some of it back. In a company analysis of 191 adults with Ménière's disease, an inner-ear disorder, about 1 in 3 who took the pill could hear sounds at least 10 decibels quieter after 12 weeks, against about 1 in 9 on a dummy pill. In plain terms, a sound that had been just too faint to catch became audible. If a stricter look confirms it, the first drug that restores hearing, rather than only protecting it, could reach pharmacies late this decade. That is a big if: the result comes from an after-the-fact analysis, and no filing date is set.
Below the line, for paid subscribers: The full story: where it stands, how we got here and what's dated next; our Odds board on 5 milestones, starting with "A prescription pill that restores hearing in Ménière's disease is approved in the U.S. by 2029"; our labeled speculation on what it adds up to; and every source.