PRIMA subretinal photovoltaic implant improves central vision acuity in geographic atrophy at 12 months
What was demonstrated
In an open-label, multicentre, single-group study with a baseline comparison, 38 adults with geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration received a PRIMA subretinal photovoltaic implant used with near-infrared-projecting glasses. Vision was assessed with and without the glasses at 6 and 12 months. Of the 32 participants assessed at 12 months, 26 (81%) reached a clinically meaningful visual acuity gain of at least 0.2 logMAR from baseline. Multiple imputation across all 38 participants estimated 80%. The authors report 26 serious adverse events in 19 participants, most of them within two months after surgery.
Why it matters
This is a peer-reviewed clinical trial of a retinal prosthesis. The paper states that no current therapy restores vision in people with geographic atrophy. The device is powered by light rather than a wired power source, and the paper reports a significant improvement in visual acuity from baseline at 12 months.
Caveats
- The study had no concurrent control arm. The comparison is with each participant's own baseline, so placebo and natural-history effects cannot be fully excluded.
- Six of the 38 implanted participants were not assessed at 12 months, including three deaths, so the imputed figure is the one that covers all participants.
- The gain is measured on visual acuity with the glasses on. The paper reports that natural peripheral visual acuity after implantation was equivalent to baseline, and it does not claim that normal vision is restored.
Technology profiles
Sources
- peer reviewed paper
Subretinal Photovoltaic Implant to Restore Vision in Geographic Atrophy Due to AMD
Frank G. Holz, Yannick Le Mer, Mahiul M. K. Muqit et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 20 Oct 2025. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2501396.
Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.