Feasibility Study of Compensation for Blindness With the PRIMA System in Patients With Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration (PRIMA FS)

In this study, the principle functionality of the device will be tested in humans for the first time. The study will evaluate the extent to which patients with atrophic dry age related macular degeneration (AMD) have evoked light perception using the implant.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: PRIMA Bionic Vision System

Detailed Description

In this study subjects are provided with a PRIMA sub-retinal implant in one eye. A camera integrated in the external components of the implant captures visual information of the environment, this information is processed by a pocket processor and then transmitted via projected IR light onto the implant. The implant received the projected IR light and stimulates the nerve cells of the retina. Interim analysis will be performed at 6 months after implantation.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 5
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Paris, France, 75019
    • Fondation Ophtalmologique A. De Rothschild/ Hopital des Quinze Vingts/

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Is 60 years or older at the date of enrolment;
• Has a confirmed diagnosis of advanced dry age related macular degeneration with an atrophy size of at least 3 optic disc diameters;
• Has best corrected visual acuity of the study eye of logMAR 1.3 (20/400) or worse measured by ETDRS;
• Has no foveal perception measured by micro-perimetry in the study eye (≤ 4 dB on Opko scale or equivalent) ;
• Has a study eye that is able to perceive light;
• Has useful vision on the non-study eye;
• Has a refraction of study eye between -3 and + 4 (limits included) for patient with IOL (there is no refraction criteria for patients with natural lens);
• Understands and accepts the obligation to present for all schedule follow-up visits.
• Patient signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Has cataracts that may influence the visual function of the study eye;
• Has an aphakic study eye
• Had cataract surgery in the last 1 month;
• Active sub-macular choroidal neovascularization in the study eye;
• Has any disease (other than study allowed diseases) or condition that affects retinal function of the study eye (e.g., central retinal artery/vein occlusion, end-stage diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, infectious or inflammatory retinal disease, severe glaucoma, optic neuropathy, myopic chorio-retinal atrophy etc.);
• Has an implanted telescope in one eye;
• Has any disease or condition that prevents adequate examination of the study eye including, but not limited to, corneal degeneration that cannot be resolved prior to implantation. Note, that this criterion is also important for the function of the implant;
• Has an endothelia cell count of less than 1000 cells/mm² in the study eye;
• Suffers from nystagmus;
• Has any disease or condition that precludes the understanding or communication of the informed consent, study requirements or test protocols (e.g., deafness, severe multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, severe neuritis, etc);
• Has a history of epileptic seizure;
• Has a history of chronic or recurrent infection or inflammation that would preclude participation in the study;
• Has a known sensitivity to the contact materials of the implant (iridium oxide, silicon-carbide and titanium);
• Presents with hypotony in the study eye;
• Presents with hypertony in the study eye;
• Has another active implanted device (e.g. cochlear implant, pacemaker) that may interfere with the device function, or diagnoses requiring such an active implant;
• Has active cancer or a history of intraocular, optic nerve or brain cancer and metastasis;
• Is an immune-suppressed subject (e.g., due to HIV positive diagnosis, etc.);
• Is carrier of multi-resistant germs;
• Is receiving anticoagulation therapy that cannot be adapted to allow eye surgery;
• Is participating in another investigational drug or device study that may interfere with the present study;

• Patients with recurrent or chronic inflammations or infections are excluded from the study. Specifically, patients with the following disorders are excluded:

  • Common inflammation - severe chronic and consuming diseases that frequently associated with infection (e.g. Crohn disease, Whipple's disease);
  • Active inflammation in the area of the eye (e.g. herpes of cornea and/or conjunctiva, recurrent blepharoconjunctivitis, hordeolum, chalazion);
• Has a severe psychological disorder. When in any doubt, an expert assessment needs to be arranged to clarify whether the patient's psychological health is suitable for the trial. In any doubts of the subjects psychological status a clinical psychologist, psychologist or the community doctor/general practitioner should be involved. The patient must have the legal capacity to sign the informed consent;
• Has severe renal, cardiac, hepatic etc. organ diseases;
• Has head dimension that are incompatible with the Visual Interface.
• Has too high and unrealistic expectation (e.g., believes that a benefit is guaranteed or expect normal vision after surgery)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: PRIMA Bionic Vision System

Device: PRIMA Bionic Vision System; The PRIMA Bionic Vision System is a device for treatment of patients who have lost their sight through outer retinal degenerative conditions of the eye such as atrophic dry age related macular degeneration. The PRIMA System is designed to provide partial restoration of the patient's visual function through electrical stimulation of the retinal neurons by a sub-retinally implanted stimulator that replace part of the degenerate photoreceptors

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Elicitation of perception	Elicitation of visual perception by electrical stimulation of the PRIMA implant measured by Octopus Visual Field	6 months after implantation
Elicitation of perception	Elicitation of visual perception by electrical stimulation of the PRIMA implant measured by Octopus Visual Field	6 weeks after implantation
Elicitation of perception	Elicitation of visual perception by electrical stimulation of the PRIMA implant measured by Octopus Visual Field	3 months after implantation
Elicitation of perception	Elicitation of visual perception by electrical stimulation of the PRIMA implant measured by Octopus Visual Field	12 months after implantation
Elicitation of perception	Elicitation of visual perception by electrical stimulation of the PRIMA implant measured by Octopus Visual Field	18 months after implantation
Elicitation of perception	Elicitation of visual perception by electrical stimulation of the PRIMA implant measured by Octopus Visual Field	24 months after implantation
Elicitation of perception	Elicitation of visual perception by electrical stimulation of the PRIMA implant measured by Octopus Visual Field	36 months after implantation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual Acuity	Visual acuity is a measure of the ability of the visual system to distinguish shapes and details of objects at a given distance. This study use the Landolt Ring to measure visual acuity	18, 24 and 36 months after implantation if applicable
Letter Visual Acuity	Visual acuity is a measure of the ability of the visual system to distinguish shapes and details of objects at a given distance. This endpoint use the ETDRS charts to measure visual acuity	48, 60 and 72 month after implantation
Quality of Live measured by IVI	IVI-Impact of Vision Impairment questionnaire (quality of life based on patient reported outcome of functional vision, participation in vision-related daily living activities and emotional well-being)	48, 60 and 72 month after implantation

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Science Corporation

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Palanker D, Le Mer Y, Mohand-Said S, Sahel JA. Simultaneous perception of prosthetic and natural vision in AMD patients. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 26;13(1):513. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28125-x.
• Muqit MMK, Mer YL, Holz FG, Sahel JA. Long-term observations of macular thickness after subretinal implantation of a photovoltaic prosthesis in patients with atrophic age-related macular degeneration. J Neural Eng. 2022 Oct 14;19(5):10.1088/1741-2552/ac9645. doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac9645.
• Palanker D, Le Mer Y, Mohand-Said S, Muqit M, Sahel JA. Photovoltaic Restoration of Central Vision in Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Ophthalmology. 2020 Aug;127(8):1097-1104. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.02.024. Epub 2020 Feb 25.
• Muqit MMK, Le Mer Y, Olmos de Koo L, Holz FG, Sahel JA, Palanker D. Prosthetic Visual Acuity with the PRIMA Subretinal Microchip in Patients with Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration at 4 Years Follow-up. Ophthalmol Sci. 2024 Mar 7;4(5):100510. doi: 10.1016/j.xops.2024.100510. eCollection 2024 Sep-Oct.
• Muqit M, Mer YL, de Koo LO, Holz FG, Sahel JA, Palanker D. Prosthetic Visual Acuity with the PRIMA System in Patients with Atrophic Age-related Macular Degeneration at 4 years follow-up. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Nov 13:2023.11.12.23298227. doi: 10.1101/2023.11.12.23298227.

Helpful Links

• Science Corporation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 6, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 12, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): December 12, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 27, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 2, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): November 7, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 2, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 27, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: macular degeneration; AMD; retina implant; geographic atrophy; dry macular degeneration; atrophic macular degeneration; retinal prosthesis; visual prosthesis
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Eye Diseases; Retinal Diseases; Retinal Degeneration; Macular Degeneration; Geographic Atrophy
• Other Study ID Numbers: CIP-PRIMA-FS

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No