Collaboration with University College London Hospital in the UK
Research Participation Open to Patients with Spinal Cord Injury and ALS
Clinical Trials Also Underway in Canada and the UAE
Neuralink, the brain neuroscience startup founded by Elon Musk, announced on July 31 (local time) that it will begin clinical trials of its brain-computer interface (BCI) chip in the United Kingdom, following its trials in the United States.
On this day, Neuralink announced on its X (formerly Twitter) account that it will "begin clinical research in the UK" in collaboration with institutions such as University College London Hospital.
Neuralink emphasized that "the launch of this research in the UK is based on the successful clinical trials in the United States and marks an important step toward providing life-changing BCI technology to people suffering from neurological disorders worldwide."
The company further stated, "If you are experiencing paralysis due to conditions such as spinal cord injury or ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), you may be eligible to participate in this study," and provided a website for patient registration.
According to Bloomberg, citing an announcement from University College London Hospital, the clinical trial will evaluate the safety and potential of the BCI device in up to seven patients with neurological disorders.
Neuralink has been developing brain-computer interface (BCI) chips with the goal of enabling people who are paralyzed due to accidents or illnesses to control various devices using only their thoughts through an implanted device in the brain.
The company is also conducting clinical trials in Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in addition to the United States and the United Kingdom.
Bloomberg reported that at least nine people have undergone Neuralink chip implantation surgery so far.
Previously, Neuralink announced in June that it had raised an additional $650 million (approximately 900 billion won) from several venture capital firms. At that time, Neuralink's corporate valuation was reportedly estimated at $9 billion (about 12.6 trillion won).
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