Second Sight receives $1.6 million grant for development of Orion cortical visual prosthesis

The National Institutes of Health has granted Second Sight Medical Products a $1.6 million grant in order to fund the early feasibility clinical trial of a visual cortical prosthesis, the company announced in a press release.

The grant includes an intent to fund $6.3 million over 5 years, which is subject to annual review, the release said.

Funding will go toward clinical testing of five subjects implanted with the Orion cortical visual prosthesis, “which is intended to provide useful artificial vision to individuals who are blind due to various causes,” the release said. The funds will also be used to submit and obtain investigational device exemption approval from the FDA and institutional review board approval for a larger clinical study.

“We are delighted to be working with the researchers at the NIH and are deeply appreciative of this grant as we aim to advance Orion and work toward commencing a final clinical study to gain FDA approval,” Will McGuire, Second Sight president and CEO, said in the release. “With this grant, we are one step closer to bringing Orion to a broader market that potentially treats a segment of the millions of blind individuals worldwide who have no other option.”