Second Sight to Conduct Clinical Trials in Germany

Second Sight Medical Products Inc. will conduct a clinical study in Germany to evaluate Argus II, its retinal prosthetic system, the company has announced. The 10-patient clinical study was approved by Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, a German federal authority that regulates drug and medical devices. The Sylmar medical device manufacturer’s Argus II is a retinal prosthesis designed to help patients with retinitis pigmentosa, or severe tunnel vision. Second Sight has been expanding globally this year, with Argus II implanted in patients in Russia, South Korea and Taiwan. The German study will have two endpoints; one is to measure the improvement of the visual field added by Argus II, and a second to evaluate how well the system integrates into patients’ daily lives. The patient enrollment for the study will initiate by the end of the year, the company said. “This is an important study and part of our strategy to evaluate the Argus II,” Will McGuire, chief executive of Second Sight, said in a statement. “If successful, the targeted population could increase the potential market for the Argus II by two to three times its current size.” Shares in Second Sight (EYES) closed Tuesday up 5 cents, or 4 percent, to $1.18 on the Nasdaq.