The Retina TL;DR with Dr. Weng: Restoring central vision in geographic atrophy with PRIMA and Frank Brodie, MD, MBA

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In this episode of The Retina TL;DR with Dr. Weng, powered by Modern Retina, host Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, professor and the Alice R. McPherson Retina Research Foundation Chair in Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, welcomes Frank Brodie, MD, MBA, for a discussion on a subretinal photovoltaic implant (PRIMA; Science Corporation) designed to restore central vision in patients with geographic atrophy (GA) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Brodie is assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and medical director of Science Corporation. He is also co-founder of Long Bridge Medical.

Sight through light

Brodie offered his “TL;DR" ("too long; didn't read"): PRIMA is a subretinal photovoltaic implant designed to restore vision in patients with GA—and in a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 80% of patients who received the device regained the ability to read letters and numbers and meaningfully improved their vision.¹

"You can think about it almost as artificial photoreceptors," Brodie said. "If you think about solar panels that convert light into electricity that's also what our device does." Patients wear glasses that capture the visual environment and transmit it as infrared pulses onto the subretinal chip, which converts those signals to electricity that stimulates the overlying bipolar cells, effectively restoring the visual cascade within the GA lesion. The photovoltaic design eliminates the need for batteries, external wires, or anything exiting the eye.

Clinical results and predictors of response

The PRIMAvera study (NCT04676854) enrolled patients with GA and vision of 20/200 or worse.¹ Weng noted the variability in response among the 32 patients with 12-month data and asked whether any characteristics predicted greater improvement. Brodie pointed to participation in a structured rehabilitation program as a key factor, attributing the benefit to both improved device fluency and neuroadaptation over time.

Weng asked Brodie to walk through the surgical steps and flag any learning curve considerations. The procedure begins with vitrectomy, induction of a subretinal bleb, a retinotomy of approximately 2.5 to 3 mm, and a 3 mm sclerotomy through which the implant is injected into the subretinal space. Perfluorocarbon liquid flattens the retina, followed by air and then gas or oil tamponade. Most complications were surgical in nature—subretinal hemorrhage and retinal breaks—and occurred early in the perioperative period. Brodie noted that if the fovea measures less than 50 µm in thickness, it should be avoided during placement to reduce the risk of macular hole; four occurred across the PRIMAvera study.¹ Beyond the first 3 months, complications were rare, with occasional choroidal neovascularization.

PRIMA vs Argus II

Weng drew a parallel to the Argus II, another visual prosthesis device familiar to many retina specialists. Brodie explained that the subretinal location of PRIMA is the critical distinction: Unlike the epiretinal Argus II, PRIMA engages the retina’s full processing hierarchy—from bipolar to ganglion cells—rather than bypassing it. "By nature of its epiretinal location, the Argus wasn’t able to take advantage of all that processing power of the retina," he said, adding that PRIMA’s placement is why "we see such markedly different visual results. We really see form vision." The second key difference, he noted, is that PRIMA is entirely wireless—powered by light itself.

US regulatory pathway and pipeline

Brodie noted that Science Corporation is in active discussions with the FDA to determine the optimal approval pathway, whether through a humanitarian device exemption similar to what Argus II received or a full premarket approval without restriction. Brodie also flagged interest in a Stargardt disease indication, noting its mechanistic similarities to GA: “In some senses you can think of that as an inherited form of GA.”

For retina specialists seeking additional details, Brodie encouraged visiting the Science Corporation website, where a dedicated PRIMA section contains information on the device and the clinical program. Patients and caregivers interested in joining the registry can visit patients.science.xyz.

Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, is professor and the Alice R. McPherson Retina Research Foundation Chair in Ophthalmology, and fellowship program director, vitreoretinal diseases and surgery, with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Weng is a consultant for Science Corporation.

Frank Brodie, MD, MBA, is assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and medical director of Science Corporation. He is also co-founder of Long Bridge Medical.

Reference

1. Holz FG, Le Mer Y, Muqit MMK, et al. Subretinal photovoltaic implant to restore vision in geographic atrophy due to AMD. N Engl J Med. 2026;394(3):232-242. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2501396