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Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) refers to a group of inherited diseases causing retinal degeneration and a loss of peripheral and night vision over time.

The vision loss is caused by a degeneration of the rod and cone cells in the retina resulting in a loss of peripheral and night vision that becomes more constricted over time, potentially resulting in total blindness in severe cases of RP. Dozens of different genetic mutations have been linked to RP.

Illustration of a healthy retina showing light entering and traveling through the first two layers of the retina, getting absorbed by the third, and converted into a visual signal.
In a healthy retina, light travels past the first two layers of cells and is converted by the photoreceptors into bioelectric signals. The photoreceptors then send these signals through the retinal layers to the optic nerve, which carries them to the brain.
Illustration of a diseased retina showing light entering and traveling through the first two layers of the retina, and not producing any further signal.
In a retina affected by RP, the photoreceptors have degenerated such that light is not converted into bioelectric signals but the other cells are still intact.
Illustration showing the action of the PRIMA implant as it stimulates remaining intact neurons.

Our Treatment: In clinical trials, PRIMA restored form vision by replacing the function of damaged photoreceptors

Building on decades of pioneering research in miniaturized solar technology, the PRIMA system has two main parts: a small device placed under the retina where the eye's light-sensing cells have been lost; and a pair of glasses that sends both visual data and power in the form of patterned light that is projected on to the implant.

Once implanted, the PRIMA implant uses gentle electrical signals to activate healthy nerve cells in the eye. In our clinical trials, this process enabled some patients to read sequences of letters with a clinically meaningful improvement of letter acuity.

Learn more about PRIMA

Current Status

Science's PRIMAvera clinical study in Europe was focused on AMD and has been completed with positive preliminary results. While we have not yet performed clinical studies with RP patients, in the future, our PRIMA system could help with central vision loss in very late stage RP and our optogenetic gene therapy could help with peripheral vision restoration.

More Resources

More information about treatment options, disease details, and current research