BCI retinal implant medtech Science closes major $230M series C round - Fierce Biotech

Many diseases that lead to vision loss have something important in common: they gradually damage the retina, the layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that makes sight possible. Scientists understand many of the physical changes that occur as retinal degeneration progresses, but they know far less about the chemical signals that influence how the retina reacts to injury. Researchers at Scripps Research, working with scientists at UC San Diego and the Lowy Medical Research Institute, have now identified a naturally occurring molecule called erucamide that appears to help coordinate communication between cells in the retina. In a study published in Nature Neuroscience on June 19, 2026, the team found that erucamide levels decline as photoreceptors, the light-sensing cells responsible for detecting visual information, begin to die.

A new type of brain implant could give scientists a more precise way to study the brain and may eventually contribute to treatments for neurological conditions such as epilepsy. Researchers from DTU, the University of Copenhagen, University College London, and other institutions have developed a long, needle-thin brain electrode equipped with microscopic channels. Known as the microfluidic Axialtrode (mAxialtrode), the device is designed to provide multiple functional points along the length of the implant. This allows researchers to record neural activity and deliver medication to specific locations across different parts of the brain.

PRIMA implantation was associated with sustained visual acuity improvement from approximately 20/460 to 20/120 at 36 months Among 18 patients evaluated at 3 years, 78% achieved gains of at least 3 lines of visual acuity