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A New Tinnitus Treatment Has Arrived in Canada And It Uses Your Tongue

  • Rafka Abou-Khalil

    • Summary

    A clinically proven device that uses tongue stimulation and sound therapy to treat tinnitus is now available in Canada. Lenire, developed by Irish medtech company Neuromod Devices, is offered through 21 hearing care clinics across five provinces. With nearly half of Canadian adults reporting tinnitus in their lifetime, the Health Canada-authorized device offers a new at-home treatment option for chronic sufferers.

    For millions of Canadians living with tinnitus, a clinically proven treatment is now available close to home.

    If you’ve ever experienced a persistent ringing, hissing, or buzzing in your ears with no obvious source, you’re far from alone. Tinnitus affects a staggering number of Canadians, 43% report having experienced it in their lifetime, and 37% say they dealt with it in the past year alone, according to the Canadian Health Measures Survey. For many, it’s a manageable nuisance. For others, it’s debilitating.

    Toronto-based patient Jim Gray knows that reality well. “Due to my tinnitus, I had to take medication to get to sleep, which I hated to do and I was worried that it was going to get even worse,” he said. 

    After treatment with Lenire, a new medical device now available in Canada, his perspective shifted entirely. “Lenire showed me that you can solve problems like tinnitus. It has been a miracle that has changed my life.”

    What Is Lenire, and How Does It Work?

    Lenire is a first-of-its-kind bimodal neuromodulation device developed by Irish medical technology company Neuromod Devices. Unlike sound therapy or other conventional approaches, it works by stimulating two sensory pathways at once. 

    The device delivers mild electrical pulses to the surface of the tongue through a component called the Tonguetip®, while simultaneously delivering auditory stimulation through headphones. 

    This dual stimulus is designed to drive changes in the brain that can produce long-term relief from tinnitus, and crucially, it can be used at home.

    What Does the Evidence Show?

    Lenire’s clinical record is extensive. Across two large-scale clinical trials involving 517 patients, 84% reported tinnitus relief that lasted at least 12 months. Results published in Nature – Scientific Reports from the TENT-A2 trial showed 95% of compliant patients experienced improvement, with 91% sustaining that relief for at least a year after treatment ended.

    In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration granted Lenire De Novo approval after the TENT-A3 trial demonstrated it was clinically superior to sound therapy alone.This is a regulatory milestone, making it the first and only bimodal neuromodulation device to achieve this status. Real-world results have tracked closely with the trial data. 

    A peer-reviewed analysis published in Nature Communications Medicine found that 91.5% of 220 patients treated at Alaska Hearing & Tinnitus reported clinically meaningful reductions in tinnitus. 

    Leading UK tinnitus charity Tinnitus UK has rated Lenire the top treatment option for safety and effectiveness.

    Now Available in Canada

    Lenire secured Health Canada authorization in late 2025, following certification under the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP), which verifies compliance with international medical device standards. The device is now available through 21 hearing care clinics across Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Québec, with further expansion planned for later in 2026.

    “In the last few years, thousands of Canadians living with tinnitus have made contact with Neuromod to ask our team to make Lenire available in Canada,” said Dr. Ross O’Neill, Neuromod’s Founder and CEO. “Today, I’m proud to say we have delivered for these people, the millions of others living with tinnitus, and for their healthcare providers.”

    Hearing Solutions, one of the Canadian clinic partners now offering the device, has been treating tinnitus patients for over 25 years. 

    “We are seeing more patients presenting to our clinicians with tinnitus as their primary concern,” said Founder and CEO Ron Abish. “We are excited to expand the treatment options for our tinnitus patients with Lenire.”

    What Will It Cost You?

    This is where prospective patients will want to plan ahead. Lenire is not currently covered by provincial health plans or most private insurance, as tinnitus treatments like many audiology services are generally considered out-of-pocket expenses. Depending on the clinic, the cost of Lenire treatment runs around $4,000. Canadian pricing has not been officially confirmed yet, so it’s worth contacting a participating clinic directly for a quote.

    Most insurers tend to wait for a broader body of real-world evidence before covering novel devices, so coverage may evolve as Lenire becomes more established in the Canadian market. In the meantime, it’s worth checking with your private insurer to see whether any portion, such as the initial audiology assessment, may be eligible for reimbursement.

    How to Access It

    Lenire is available exclusively through trained hearing care clinics, where patients first undergo a suitability assessment before beginning treatment. Those interested can find a participating clinic in Canada at lenire.com/find-a-clinic.

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