Neuromod Devices Limited (Neuromod), an Irish medical device company specialising in the treatment of chronic tinnitus, has announced that it has raised €5.5 million ($6.2 million) in Series A Funding from international life sciences venture capital fund Fountain Healthcare Partners. The investment will be used to further enhance scientific and clinical understanding of its bi-modal neuromodulation device, mutebutton®, and commence US clinical trials of the device. The international launch of mutebutton® is targeted for 2018. This investment by Fountain Healthcare marks a significant milestone for Neuromod, which is headquartered at NexusUCD, and brings the total raised by the company to-date to more than €8 million ($9 million). As part of the Series A financing, Dr Manus Rogan of Fountain Healthcare Partners will join the board of directors of Neuromod. Neuromod’s non-invasive mutebutton® device uses bi-modal neuromodulation via simultaneous auditory stimulation in the ear and sensory stimulation on the tongue to promote positive changes in neuroplasticity in parts of the brain implicated in tinnitus. Recent developments in international tinnitus research have uncovered many forms of tinnitus and bi-modal neuromodulation is emerging as one of the most promising therapies for certain forms of the condition. Neuromod has already generated promising clinical data with the mutebutton® in more than 50 people suffering from chronic tinnitus thereby validating its approach. Results from this study are soon to be published in a peer reviewed journal. Neuromod will use the proceeds from the investment to advance dose optimisation and patient sub-typing research,  commence  US  clinical  trials  and  promote  its  international  adoption  as  the  next  generation treatment for chronic tinnitus. Neuromod received a medical device CE mark in Europe in October 2014 for the mutebutton® device and was granted a US Patent for its technology in September 2015. Earlier this year Neuromod was recognised as the ‘Emerging Company of the Year’ at the Irish Medical Device Association (IMDA) Awards, by its medical device industry peers. About 250 million people worldwide experience chronic tinnitus on a daily basis. The condition manifests itself as an illusory sound with no external source or origin. Despite being commonly described as ‘ringing in the ears’, international research has shown that chronic tinnitus actually originates in the brain. In the US alone, there are an estimated 15 million people with clinically significant tinnitus, with two to three million people experiencing debilitating symptoms. Chronic tinnitus can have a severe impact on a patient’s quality of life, with documented secondary symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, headaches and depression, resulting in repeat visits to GP’s, ENT surgeons and clinical audiologists. There are currently limited clinically validated treatments available in the market place for treating chronic tinnitus. Neuromod’s objective is to address this significant unmet medical need with its mutebutton® device.