Neuralink Corporation was founded by Elon Musk and eight neurologists in San Francisco in 2016 to develop implantable brain-machine interfaces. The company is currently developing a chip to be implanted in people’s brains to record and stimulate brain activity.
This chip is said to have medical applications such as treating spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders. The company said last month that it is waiting for approval from the authorities to be able to pass manned tests in this direction. Now she’s looking for a clinical research director who can help her move towards her goal.
Neuralink prepares for human trials
Since its public release in 2017, Neuralink has tested the brain implant in pigs and monkeys. But he did not share the news of the manned trial expected for the last 1 year. The company’s implant consists of a coin-like device with electrodes nailed to thin, flexible wires.
The main innovation it offers comes with these wires. Because the similar ones used by different companies in the past years had needles that were hard enough to damage the cells in the brain. But if it wants to get FDA approval for general medical use, it must first run human trials. For this, the first tests are expected to be carried out on people with a range of neurological problems, from memory loss to addiction.
Elon Musk first pointed to 2020 in the past years for the company’s first manned trials. Then it was announced that this date was postponed. The CEO, who also took the stage last December, pointed to 2022. However, it is very rare that Musk keeps the promised date on any subject.
The clinical trial process would begin with a feasibility study to look at how the device performed in a small number of human trials. A larger-scale trial permit would then need to be obtained from the FDA, as it is high-risk and has not been used in humans before. According to the job posting, the clinical research director will be directly responsible for interactions with regulators such as the FDA.
What do you think about this issue? Do you think Neuralink will be able to start its first manned trials in 2022, as Elon Musk said? Do not forget to share your views with us in the comments.
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