Pixium Vision

About Pixium Vision

Pixium Vision, established in December 2011 as a spin-off from the Vision Institute and Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, operated as a bioelectronics company focused on developing bionic vision systems to restore partial sight. The company was founded by Bernard Gilly, a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and venture capital sectors, including roles at Sanofi, Sofinnova Partners, and as the founder of Fovea Pharmaceuticals. His background in ophthalmology and company-building was instrumental in shaping Pixium's mission. The firm's business model revolved around the research, development, and eventual commercialization of its medical devices, targeting patients suffering from vision loss due to outer retinal degeneration, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and atrophic dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (dry AMD).

The company developed two primary bionic vision systems. The first, IRIS®II, was an epiretinal (on the surface of the retina) implant with 150 electrodes designed for patients with RP. It worked with a bio-inspired camera mounted on glasses that transmitted visual information to the implant, bypassing damaged photoreceptor cells to stimulate the remaining retinal nerve cells. IRIS®II received a CE Mark in Europe in July 2016, allowing for its commercialization in the European market. The second, more advanced system was PRIMA, a miniaturized, wireless photovoltaic subretinal (under the retina) implant for patients with dry-AMD. The PRIMA system consists of a 2x2mm chip with 378 electrodes, glasses with an integrated camera and a near-infrared projector, and a pocket computer. The camera captures the visual scene, which is processed by the computer and then projected via infrared light onto the photovoltaic chip; the chip converts this light into electrical signals that stimulate the patient's bipolar cells, creating a visual perception. Clinical trials demonstrated that PRIMA was well-tolerated and enabled patients to recognize letters and patterns, representing a significant advance over technologies that only create light perception (phosphenes).

Pixium Vision was listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange in June 2014. Over the years, it collaborated with a global network of prestigious research partners, including Stanford University and the Institut de la Vision in Paris. Despite achieving significant technical and clinical milestones, including an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for the PRIMA System, the company faced financial difficulties. After being unable to secure necessary funding, the company entered receivership and was subsequently placed into judicial liquidation in early 2024, leading to its delisting from the stock exchange. In April 2024, it was announced that Science Corporation had acquired the intellectual property and assets related to the PRIMA implant, signaling a potential future for the technology.