Rose covers disability and mental health, and she helps write STAT’s daily Morning Rounds newsletter . Confidential tips can be sent to Rose on Signal at rosebroderick.11. Two years ago, scientists made history with a gene therapy that restored hearing for a small group of children who had been born deaf, allowing some of them to hear for the first time. The robust gains and lack of safety concerns led the Food and Drug Administration to approve Regeneron’s Otarmeni therapy in April for the small group of people with this rare genetic mutation. AdvertisementScientists are now eyeing other hearing-loss targets, including the holy grail — the GJB2 gene.