Key facts
- Science Corporation's PRIMA device has been approved by Europe's medical device regulator.
- The device aims to restore vision for individuals with age-related macular degeneration.
- PRIMA involves implanting a chip in the eye and wearing camera-equipped glasses.
- The US FDA has granted the device a designation for expedited regulatory review.
- Science Corporation acquired the French company Pixium, the original developer of the PRIMA technology, in 2024.
Science Corporation has secured approval from Europe's medical device regulator for its PRIMA device, which aims to restore vision lost due to age-related macular degeneration. The company also received a designation from the US Food and Drug Administration that paves the way for an expedited regulatory review, potentially allowing the device to treat two rare forms of blindness.
The PRIMA device involves a surgical procedure to implant a chip in the back of the eye, coupled with camera-equipped glasses that transmit visual information to the chip. Max Hodak, founder and CEO of Science Corporation, stated that the technology provides functional vision to individuals who have lost it, citing patient successes such as reading a novel and completing puzzles.
Hodak, previously a co-founder of Neuralink, established Science Corporation with the goal of developing novel brain-computer interfaces. The company acquired Pixium, a French firm that developed the PRIMA technology, in 2024 to advance its commercialization efforts. Science Corporation anticipates the PRIMA device will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is in discussions with healthcare providers regarding reimbursement.
The company plans to launch PRIMA in Germany, where clinical trials were conducted, with the first procedures potentially occurring in September. Future developments include improving the chip and the form factor of the glasses. Science Corporation is also collaborating with Dr. Murat Günel from Yale Medical School on human trials for a directly implanted bio-hybrid brain sensor, which Hodak views as a long-term goal supported by the revenue generated from the PRIMA vision business.