A novel retinal implant is offering people with geographic atrophy the opportunity to regain part of their central vision for the first time. Geographic atrophy is a severe late stage of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). An international research team led by Prof. Frank G. Holz of the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn demonstrated in an international clinical trial that the majority of participants experienced significant improvements in visual acuity. More than 84 percent were able to recognize letters, numbers, or words again following implantation. The novel retinal implant technology has now received approval for routine clinical use in Europe, making it available beyond clinical trials.
In AMD, the retinal cells responsible for converting light into electrical signals gradually degenerate. The 2 × 2 millimeter microchip, which is only 30 micrometers thick, is implanted beneath the retina during a microsurgical procedure, where it replaces the function of damaged photoreceptors. Special camera-equipped glasses project infrared light onto the implant, which converts the light into electrical signals. These signals stimulate the remaining healthy retinal cells, creating visual perception in the brain's visual cortex. Clinical studies have shown that this technology can significantly improve visual acuity within twelve months - by at least ten letters on the standardized ETDRS visual acuity chart - while preserving patients' natural peripheral vision. Overall, the implant is well tolerated, with most adverse events occurring within the first eight weeks after surgery. For the first time, this technology enables patients to partially regain central vision.
A Milestone in the Treatment of Advanced AMD
"This therapy represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of geographic atrophy caused by AMD. For the first time, patients have access to a treatment that can actually improve vision. Previous therapeutic approaches were only able to slow disease progression," says Prof. Frank G. Holz, Director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital Bonn and member of the ImmunoSensation³ Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn.
Most recently, Prof. Holz's groundbreaking therapeutic approach earned him a place on the prestigious shortlist for the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2026 in the Life Sciences category.
The newly approved subretinal microchip is intended for patients with the advanced atrophic form of age-related macular degeneration - known as geographic atrophy - who have lost central vision in both eyes. Following implantation, patients undergo several months of rehabilitation, during which they learn to see and read using the implanted microchip. An independent Data Safety Monitoring Board unanimously recommended approval of the technology, concluding that its clinical benefits outweigh the potential risks.
Nine months after the clinical trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the physicians and scientists involved are now celebrating its European approval.
"The availability of this therapy represents a major breakthrough in the treatment of dry AMD, and I am delighted that patients can now benefit from it," says Prof. Holz. "Many therapeutic approaches have failed in the past. This new treatment is the result of many years of successful interdisciplinary collaboration among numerous experts and research groups, and we are proud to have contributed to its development."
Patients interested in the new retinal implant technology can contact the team via email at aug.implantat@ukbonn.de.
Publication
Frank G. Holz et al.: Subretinal Photovoltaic Implant to Restore Vision in Geographic Atrophy Due to AMD, New England Journal of Medicine, 2025. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2501396
Contact
Prof. Dr. Frank Holz
Department of Ophthalmology
Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn
E-mail: frank.holz@ukb.uni-bonn.de
Phone: +49 228 28715647
