Breakthrough in sight restoration

A pioneering brain–computer interface (BCI) implant has restored functional central vision to patients suffering from geographic atrophy (GA), a severe form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — a leading cause of blindness worldwide. The results of this landmark clinical trial have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), marking what scientists call a "paradigm shift" in vision restoration.

Developed by California-based Science Corporation, the PRIMA implant consists of a tiny wireless chip placed under the retina, paired with specialised glasses that project infrared light. The device converts the light into electrical signals, stimulating the remaining retinal cells to transmit visual information to the brain — effectively acting as artificial photoreceptors.

The multi-centre trial, conducted across 17 clinical sites in five countries, evaluated 38 patients who had lost central vision due to GA. Results showed that 84 per cent of participants regained the ability to read letters, numbers and words, with an average improvement equivalent to more than five lines on the standard eye chart. Importantly, no significant deterioration in peripheral natural vision was observed.

"This study confirms that, for the first time, we can restore functional central vision in patients blinded by geographic atrophy," said Dr Frank Holz, lead author and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital of Bonn. "The implant represents a paradigm shift in treating late-stage AMD."

Professor José-Alain Sahel, senior co-author from the University of Pittsburgh and Sorbonne Université, described the results as "something we couldn't have dreamt of when we started more than a decade ago."

Dr Mahi Muqit, a vitreoretinal surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, added, "Artificial vision is the only approach that actually gives patients any vision back — and that's what they want."

The PRIMA implant, measuring just 2 millimetres wide and half the thickness of a human hair, demonstrated a strong safety profile. Most post-surgical side effects resolved within two months, and the Data Safety Monitoring Board recommended the device for European market approval. Regulatory processes are now underway in both Europe and the United States.

Science Corporation's CEO, Max Hodak, said the company's mission is to develop technologies that "provide hope to patients in need and have the ability to transform lives."

If approved, PRIMA could become the world's first commercially available treatment capable of restoring — rather than merely preserving — sight for patients with advanced macular degeneration.