San Francisco: Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, stated on Friday that his brain-chip start-up, Neuralink, expects its first human trial to begin this year. Musk disclosed his plans to implant a tetraplegic or paraplegic patient while live streaming the procedure at the VivaTech event in Paris. Although the specific number of patients or the duration of the experiment was not mentioned, Musk noted that the first instance appeared to be scheduled for later this year.
Last month, Neuralink achieved a significant milestone as it received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its initial human clinical trial. This clearance positions the company at the forefront of neurotechnology advancements. However, even if Neuralink can demonstrate the safety of its device in humans, obtaining commercial use clearance could still take several years, potentially extending beyond a decade. Additionally, Neuralink faces competition from other neurotech companies that have already successfully implanted their devices in individuals.
Currently, Neuralink is under investigation in the United States for its practises concerning animal experiments. Former employees of the company have come forward, revealing instances where surgeries on monkeys, pigs, and sheep were reportedly rushed and mishandled, resulting in avoidable animal deaths. Allegedly, Musk exerted pressure on staff to obtain FDA approval, and these animal experiments were conducted to support the company’s application for human trials.
Separately, the Department of Transportation is also conducting an investigation into whether Neuralink illegally transported hazardous pathogens on chips extracted from monkey brains without adhering to proper containment measures.
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