Retina Implant AG

Development of a subretinal implant designed to restore a certain degree of vision in blind patients suffering from retinal diseases

Retina Implant GmbH is a spin-off company of a cooperation between the University Eye Hospitals of the Universities of Tübingen and Regensburg, the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute of the University of Tübingen, the Institute for Microelectronics in Stuttgart (IMS), and the Institute for Physical Electronics of the University of Stuttgart. The joint project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The business plan of Retina Implant GbmH was awarded first prize in the international business competition ‘Genestart biotech award’ of the State of Baden-Württemberg. In June 2005, Retina Implant and Second Sight Medical Products Inc. have signed an agreement of cooperation. Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will cooperate on developing standards which will make it possible to measure and assess the usage properties of electronic eye implants.

In April 2006, as part of a capital increase, Mediplan GmbH took around a 25% share in Retina Implant GmbH by investing Euro 7.5 million in an initial tranche. Mediplan has also committed to investing a further Euro 7.5 million in the company once CE accreditation has been gained, which is required before a medical product can be marketed in Europe. The newly acquired funding will enable Retina Implant to finance clinical trials and the cost of approving the chip for market until it achieves break-even.

Walter-G. Wrobel, Dr., CEO
Reinhard Rubow, CFO

Eberhart Zrenner, Prof. Dr. (Chairmain)
Hugo Haemmerle, Prof. Dr. (Deputy chairman)
Hermann-Josef Hoffmann

Gerhard-Kindler-Straße 8
72770 Reutlingen
Germany
Phone: +49 7121 36403-0
Fax: +49 7121 36403-115

Of the 130,000 blind people in Germany, approximately one quarter of them suffer from degenerative retinal diseases. Among them diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macula degeneration (ARMD). Extrapolating these figures to Europe, North America and Japan it can be estimated that there are approximately 500,000 - 600, 000 patients who could be supplied with a retinal implant. Currently, there is no treatment available for these people. It is assumed that vision can be restored in blind people or people with severely impaired vision who suffer from retina degeneration diseases such as RP or ARMD. Initially, the implant will be implanted only in patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa. If this intervention proves successful, the implant will also be supplied to people suffering from severe age-related macula degeneration.