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The New England Journal of Medicine Reports Science Corp.’s PRIMA BCI Implant Restores Functional Central Vision to Patients with Geographic Atrophy Caused By Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Science Corporation press release, published October 20, 2025.

The NEJM published a peer-reviewed original paper with the results of the landmark clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of the PRIMA brain computer interface (BCI) retinal implant. The paper showed PRIMA restored functional central vision; 80% of patients demonstrated meaningful improvement of visual acuity and were able to read letters, numbers, and words.

The PRIMA device, comprised of a small light-powered retinal implant and a special pair of glasses that provide wireless power and data to the implant, targets patients suffering from geographic atrophy (GA) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness affecting over 5 million people worldwide. It is based on work originally conducted by Professor Daniel Palanker at Stanford University, a co-author of the paper.

“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 of the NEJM paper, lead investigator, and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital of Bonn.

“This breakthrough underscores our commitment to pioneering technologies that provide hope to patients in need,” said Max Hodak, founder and CEO of Science.

Study Highlights

  • Multi-center clinical trial: 38 patients across 17 clinical sites in five countries.
  • Mean improvement of 25.5 letters (more than 5 lines) on ETDRS letter chart.
  • 84% of patients reported the ability to read letters, numbers, and words, restoring functional central vision.
  • 80% of patients achieved significant prosthetic visual acuity improvements of at least logMAR 0.2 (equivalent to ~10 letters on ETDRS chart) at 12 months (p<0.001).
  • No significant decline in mean existing peripheral natural vision was observed.
  • The implant can be safely implanted under the atrophic macula. Serious adverse events occurred primarily within the first two months post-implantation and 95% of these resolved within 2 months.

The Data Safety Monitoring Board recommended PRIMA for European market approval, finding that the benefits to patients outweighed the risk of the implantation surgery. In Europe, regulatory approval was applied for; in the US, an FDA approval process is underway.

A Transformational Approach to Vision Restoration

The PRIMA implant is a novel subretinal photovoltaic implant paired with specialized glasses that project near-infrared light to the implant, which acts like a miniature solar panel. A zoom feature provides patients with the ability to magnify letters. The implant rests within the atrophied area of the retina and measures 2mm x 2mm x 30µm.

Quotes

  • Prof. José-Alain Sahel (senior co-author; Univ. of Pittsburgh, Sorbonne Université, Institut de la Vision Paris): “More than 80% of the patients were able to read letters and words, and some of them are reading pages in a book.”
  • Mahi Muqit (Moorfields Eye Hospital, London): “Artificial vision is the only approach which actually gives patients any vision back.”

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