Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct human clinical trials.
“We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!” Neuralink announced on Twitter, calling it “an important first step that one day will allow our technology to help many people.”
In a rare move, the FDA confirmed that Neuralink is now authorized to commence human clinical trials for its groundbreaking device. This acknowledgement marks a significant step forward in the startup’s journey of innovative technology.
We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!
— Neuralink (@neuralink) May 25, 2023
This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our…
What is Neuralink?
Founded in 2016, Neuralink operates in the field of brain computer interface (BCI). The company based in California, with a campus under construction outside of Austin, has more than 400 employees.
What is Brain Computer Interface? BCI is a system that can understand what you want such as the desire to change, move, control, or interact with something by reading your brain activity. It allows you to control an application or a device using only your thoughts.
Neuralink BCI: The BCI system developed by Neuralink decodes brain signals and transmits them to devices like computers or phones. The company, which has raised at least $363 million, aims to utilize its microchips to treat conditions such as paralysis and blindness, enabling disabled individuals to control computers and mobile technology through their thoughts.
Co-founders: Among its co-founders is Elon Musk, who also serves as the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter. Initially, there were reportedly eight people involved in setting up Neuralink. However, one of the co-founders, Max Hodak, who was Neuralink’s former president, left the company in 2021 to establish Science Corp, a venture dedicated to further developing BCI technology. Science Corp’s projects include combining gene therapy with a microLED display to restore vision. Another Neuralink co-founder, Paul Merolla, who contributed to the chip design program, also left Neuralink to pursue a project which is still in stealth.
Animal testing controversy
Neuralink has faced criticism from activist groups regarding its treatment of animals during experimentation. The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine has repeatedly urged Elon Musk to provide details about experiments conducted on monkeys that reportedly resulted in internal bleeding, paralysis, chronic infections, seizures, and death. Since 2018, Neuralink has tested on and killed over 1,500 animals, including sheep, pigs, monkeys, mice, and rats, Reuters reported. The high number of deaths is believed to be due to Musk’s push for accelerated research progress, Reuters said citing current and former Neuralink employees.
Competition: While Neuralink is making progress, one of its competitors, Synchron, has achieved significant milestones after becoming the first company to receive FDA approval for conducting trials of a permanently implantable BCI. Synchron has developed a minimally invasive interface that utilizes the brain’s electrical pulses, allowing individuals with limited or no mobility to operate technology, such as mobile devices and computers, using their thoughts.
