Nano Retina Announces Preliminary Results for First-in-Human Implantation of Its NR600 Artificial Retina Device

The device is designed to restore vision to persons blinded by age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa

First two patients to receive the device in March 2020 report visual effect

HERZLIYA, Israel, March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nano Retina Ltd., developer of the NR600, an artificial retina device that mimics the natural physiological processes of the human eye and restores functional vision to persons blinded by retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, today reported preliminary results for First-in-Human implantations of its artificial retina device in March 2020. 

As part of a European multicenter clinical trial enrolling up to 20 patients for the purpose of obtaining CE approval of the NR600, the first two patients, blinded by retinitis pigmentosa, have undergone the minimally invasive procedure to implant the device. The procedures were both performed in the Department of Ophthalmology of the University Hospital Leuven, Belgium, by Professor Peter Stalmans, one of Europe's leading retina specialists. 

Following activation of the device, both patients reported visual effects, which Nano Retina expects to optimize over the coming months. As regards the second patient to receive the device, Professor Stalmans stated: "The device was activated for the first time, and the result was amazing: this patient has been completely in the dark for 5 years now, and she immediately reported seeing an image in the center of her visual field when the device was activated, and could show with her hands the size of the image that she saw. I am very impressed by this experience. I have been working for more than 20 years as an ophthalmologist, but this is the first time I witnessed a completely blind patient being given back a visual perception." 

Yaakov Milstain, CEO of Nano Retina, stated: "We are thrilled by the results being reported today. Nano Retina's NR600 artificial retina device, which I believe is one of the world's most innovative and advanced medical devices, is the product of an international effort by a talented team of scientists over the course of a decade. We look forward to restoring vision to hundreds of thousands of persons blinded by retinal disease." 

Ilan Neugarten, Chairman of Nano Retina's Board of Directors and Executive Chairman of Rainbow Medical, stated: "We are extremely pleased by this remarkable achievement of Nano Retina, and we are looking forward to completion of the clinical trial and marketing of this breakthrough technology."

About Nano-Retina

Nano-Retina (www.nano-retina.com) was founded in 2009 by Rainbow Medical. The company has developed the NR600, a miniature artificial retina, designed to restore vision to people blinded by retinal degeneration. The advanced device is implanted in a minimally invasive technique under local anesthesia and is expected to provide superior visual resolution due to its large array of proprietary nano-scale electrodes. 

About Rainbow Medical 

Rainbow Medical (www.rainbowmd.com) is a private operational investment company that invents and grows startup companies, developing breakthrough medical devices, invented by Yossi Gross, for diverse unmet medical needs. 

For more information contact: Meital Levi Tal, [email protected]