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Wills Eye Institute, Retina Implant plan first North American clinical trial of subretinal implant
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REUTLINGEN, Germany — Retina Implant, the developer of a subretinal implant for the visually impaired, has chosen Wills Eye Institute to be the lead site of the first clinical trial of the device in North America, the company announced in a news release.
Retina Implant's proprietary technology will be evaluated in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, the release said.
"The results of the subretinal approach in Europe demonstrate the great potential this implant has to impact dramatically the quality of life for our patients here in the United States," Julia A. Haller, MD, ophthalmologist in chief at Wills Eye Institute, said in the release. "Patients involved in previous clinical trials have achieved extraordinary success in their ability to regain useful vision. It is this life-changing success we hope to replicate with our own patients as Wills becomes the first institution in the U.S. to offer Retina Implant's technology."
Retina Implant's subretinal implant technology has been in clinical trials for more than 6 years in Germany. The firm plans to expand its second human clinical trial into the United Kingdom this summer.
Results of Retina Implant's first human clinical trial showed that placement of the implant below the retina, in the macular region, enabled patients to recognize foreign objects and read letters.