Science Corporation has announced the implantation of its vision-restoring chip, PRIMA, into its first patient with Stargardt disease. This inherited eye condition progressively damages central vision.
The company's CEO, Max Hodak, stated that the patient received the PRIMA implant in May 2026 as part of an ongoing trial at the Sydney Eye Hospital in Australia. During initial rehabilitation, the patient reportedly saw a letter and, in a subsequent session, was able to read a word.
PRIMA is already commercially available in Europe for individuals who have lost sight due to geographic atrophy, an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration. The company believes its technology could be applied to various diseases, including Stargardt disease, which currently has no cure.
The device is a 2mm by 2mm implant placed in the back of the eye, working like artificial photoreceptors. Patients wear camera-equipped glasses that transmit visual information to the chip, providing a high-contrast, black and white, sharp patch in their central vision.