Cochlear Introduces its Leading Hearing Technology to the World Stage at the Consumer Electronics Show

Sydney, Australia, 7 January 2019: Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH), the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, is showcasing its industry leading implantable hearing devices at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from 8-11 January in Las Vegas for the first time.

"The fastest-growing population in the United States is adults over 65 years old and almost a quarter of people aged 65 to 74 years have disabling hearing loss. For people aged 75 and older, that figure jumps to 50 percent of people living with disabling hearing loss," said Patti Trautwein, an audiologist and Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at Cochlear. "Despite living with day-to-day challenges of not being able to take part in conversations or engage in society in the way they used to, many people are still unaware that they may be suitable for an implantable hearing device such as a cochlear implant. Less than 5 percent of people who could benefit from a cochlear implant actually have one. CES gives us an opportunity to connect directly with consumers to educate them on hearing loss and how our technology may help them when hearing aids aren’t enough."

Joining Cochlear at CES is Susan Beckett, a cochlear implant recipient and user of the Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor, to share her experiences using the world’s first and only Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor.¹*

"With the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor I don't miss a thing and my implants gave me a career. I am able to work for the State of Nevada, where much of my job requires me to transcribe audio recordings, something I never could have done before," explained Susan. "After first experiencing hearing loss in high school, I found that the hearing aids were not providing me benefit, but the cochlear implant has. And the upgrade to the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor meant having a technology that enhanced enjoyment and productivity in so many areas of my life, personal and professional."

Cochlear will be showcasing its range of Cochlear™ Nucleus implant technology for people living with moderate, severe and profound hearing loss, as well as its bone conduction hearing devices for people with single-sided deafness, conductive and mixed hearing loss. Cochlear is part of the CES Digital Health Summit, the global gathering place for new and emerging consumer health technology.

Cochlear's CES 2019 booth experiences

Visiting attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Cochlear's life-changing hearing technology by:

• Meeting with people using a Cochlear device to restore their hearing
• Participating in a virtual reality experience
• Taking part in product demonstrations

Hearing loss represents a significant global health burden with 466 million people living with disabling hearing loss worldwide, and this figure is projected to grow to 900 million – one in every 10 people – by 2050.² According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 72 million people who could potentially benefit from the use of a hearing device, such as a cochlear implant or hearing aid.³

Increasingly, evidence shows cochlear implants for adults as an effective intervention for a much wider group of candidates.⁴ The company's cochlear implants are the most reliable in the industry, which is one of many reasons why more people choose a Cochlear hearing solution than any other brand.⁵

"Cochlear has been leading the industry for nearly 40 years with world-first technology – and we're not slowing any time soon when it comes to continued innovation and making our technology accessible to those who would benefit from it. We're always listening to the needs of those with hearing loss, so we can help more people, of all ages, to hear and connect with life's opportunities," added Trautwein.

About Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)

Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of more than 3,500 people and invests more than AUD$160 million each year in research and development. Products include cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implants, which healthcare professionals use to treat a range of moderate to profound types of hearing loss. Since 1981, Cochlear has provided more than 550,000 implantable devices, helping people of all ages, in more than 100 countries, to hear.

About the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor and Nucleus Smart App

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is the world's smallest and lightest behind-the-ear cochlear implant sound processor.⁶ This year the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor received international acknowledgement from leading design and technology award bodies. This included a Red Dot for Product Design 2018 and a Good Design Award® Best in Class in the Product Design category in recognition for outstanding design and innovation.

The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor works by detecting sounds which are then turned into electrical signals by the receiver-stimulator and sent to the brain by the electrode placed in the inner ear (cochlea).

The Nucleus Smart App**, which is exclusively compatible with the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, offers a range of first-of-its-kind features for users. From locating a lost or misplaced sound processor using Find My Processor, through to confidently tracking progress with the Hearing Tracker, or reducing noise from behind with ForwardFocus***, users can experience unprecedented connectivity and performance.

For additional information about the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor please visit www.cochlear.com/CES

Media Contacts:
Hayley Dowling
Cochlear Limited
(+61) 498 021 795
hdowling@cochlear.com

Leslie Humbel
Edelman
(312) 729-1781
Leslie.Humbel@edelman.com