Science Corporation announces a PRIMA implant for Stargardt disease

Science Corporation announces that it has implanted its PRIMA retinal prosthesis in its first patient with Stargardt disease. Its leader, Max Hodak, presented this development at TechCrunch Disrupt. According to the company, the procedure took place in May as part of an ongoing trial at Sydney Eye Hospital in Australia. The announcement therefore concerns an earlier implantation.

Stargardt disease is an inherited condition that progressively destroys central vision. It affects the outer retina and its light-sensitive cells, while potentially sparing the inner retina, which transmits visual signals to the brain. PRIMA combines a chip placed at the back of the eye with glasses equipped with a camera that transmit a representation of the surroundings to the chip.

Science Corporation reports that the patient saw a letter during their first rehabilitation session, then read a word during the next one. These initial observations concern one patient and are attributed to the company. They are insufficient to determine the durability of the benefit or the effectiveness of the device for everyone with the condition.

Hodak describes black-and-white vision over a limited area of the central visual field, allowing a few letters to be distinguished at a time. This detail provides a more concrete measure of the announced result: it is a partial visual capability. Its clinical value will need to be assessed within the trial, beyond these first sessions.