Science Corp Secures EU Approval for Vision-Restoring Retina Implant

European regulators have cleared Science Corporation to market a visual prosthetic designed to address blindness caused by age-related macular degeneration. This approval allows the startup to begin commercializing its PRIMA system, which employs a small chip implanted in the back of the eye to replace destroyed light-sensitive cells. According to reporting from TechCrunch, the company is moving toward an initial rollout in Germany, where clinicians conducted the original trials, with the first surgeries potentially occurring as early as September.

How the PRIMA technology restores vision

The PRIMA device functions through a combination of surgical hardware and external optics. Patients undergo an outpatient procedure that lasts about an hour to implant the chip behind the retina. Once the site heals, users wear specialized glasses outfitted with cameras. These cameras capture the surrounding environment and transmit visual data directly to the implant, translating light patterns into functional vision. For those living with macular degeneration, the condition typically makes reading or facial recognition impossible because the disease eliminates the eye’s natural light-sensitive receptors.

Company CEO Max Hodak reports that patients using the system have achieved significant functional milestones. He noted that one individual in France successfully finished reading a 300-page book, while others have demonstrated the ability to complete Sudoku puzzles or draw detailed sketches, such as the Sydney Opera House. These outcomes underscore the technology's effectiveness in providing a tangible restoration of sight for those who have lost the ability to process visual information through traditional biological pathways.

Building a sustainable commercial foundation

Science Corporation, founded by former Neuralink president Max Hodak, entered the medical device market with the intention of creating a sustainable business model before pivoting to more experimental technologies. The company identified the PRIMA platform—originally developed by the French firm Pixium—as the most viable path toward this goal. Science Corporation finalized the acquisition of Pixium in 2024, subsequently leveraging its internal expertise to refine the documentation and technological evolution required to meet stringent regulatory standards.

Industry leaders recognize that many startups in the brain-computer interface field struggle to generate consistent revenue. Hodak has stated that the sector needs a company capable of bringing in roughly $100 million in annual revenue to avoid the risk of a stagnant investment period. By prioritizing a device that addresses a widespread medical need, Science Corporation aims to prove that medical-grade brain-computer interfaces can exist as a self-sustaining commercial enterprise rather than relying solely on venture capital.

Looking toward future applications and US regulatory steps

While the company focuses on the European market, it is also engaging with the US Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has granted a specific designation to the PRIMA device, which serves as a necessary first step toward expedited regulatory review. If successful in the US, the treatment could reach patients suffering from two rare forms of blindness. Science Corporation is currently navigating discussions with healthcare providers in Europe to determine reimbursement structures, given that each unit is expected to cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Long-term development plans involve further iteration on the hardware. Engineers are currently working to improve the chip's vision capabilities and reduce the size and power requirements of the external glasses. The current model still requires a portable battery pack, but the ultimate vision involves a form factor closer to standard augmented reality glasses. Beyond the retina, the firm is collaborating with Dr. Murat Günel, the chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Yale Medical School, to develop human trials for a direct bio-hybrid brain sensor. Hodak maintains that achieving a successful, high-revenue business through the PRIMA device is essential to financing these complex, long-term innovations in neural interfacing.