First Clinical Trial Conducted Outside the US
Neuralink, the neurotechnology startup founded by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has received approval for clinical trials in Canada.
On the 20th (local time), Neuralink announced on its website that it had obtained approval from Canadian health authorities for clinical trials and plans to evaluate the safety and initial functionality of its brain-computer interface (BCI) device, which enables patients with paralysis to control external devices using only their thoughts.
University Health Network (UHN) in Canada confirmed that it will test Neuralink's brain implant device at Toronto Western Hospital, one of its affiliated hospitals. This marks the first time Neuralink is conducting clinical trials outside the United States.
Kevin Smith, CEO of UHN, stated, "We are very proud to be at the forefront of advancements in neurosurgical research." UHN posted the news of the clinical trial approval on X (formerly Twitter), the social media platform owned by CEO Musk, announcing, "Patient recruitment for the clinical trial has now begun." Neuralink added that it is seeking patients with paralysis caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or spinal cord injury for the clinical trial.
Neuralink has been developing technology to implant BCI devices in the brain that allow people who cannot use their limbs to control external devices using only their thoughts. The BCI chip converts brain waves into electrical signals to interact with electronic devices, communicating with nerve cells through tiny thread-like electrodes. After initially being rejected due to safety concerns, the device received clinical trial approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September last year.
Earlier this year, Neuralink announced that it had implanted a chip in the brain of Nolan Arbo, a patient with paralysis, in the United States, and in August, it successfully completed implantation surgery on a second patient named Alex. In a live-streamed video by Neuralink, Arbo controlled a laptop cursor to play online chess using only his gaze without moving his hands. Alex also attracted attention by demonstrating playing a first-person shooter video game and using design software solely through thought. Neuralink is also conducting research to treat other conditions such as blindness, but this project is expected to take longer.
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