Neuralink Approved For Human Testing

Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, will start its first in-human clinical study. This is a big deal because the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the go-ahead. The company had some trouble getting approval at first.

Since 2019, Musk made four predictions about his company (which makes medical devices) starting human trials. The trials would use a brain implant to treat conditions like paralysis and blindness.

The company was founded in 2016. But only in early 2022, it asked for FDA approval. The application was declined, as said by seven current and former employees to Reuters in March.

Neuralink was given a list of things to fix by the FDA before they allowed human trials. The employees say there were three main concerns. The battery in the device was a problem, as was the possibility of the wires moving in the brain. Lastly, it would be hard to remove the device without hurting the brain.

The FDA has approved something on Thursday. US lawmakers want regulators to look into whether the panel at Neuralink that watches animal testing made mistakes. They think that the experiments were hurried and went wrong.

The federal government has looked into Neuralink.

The USDA's inspector general is investigating possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act after a federal prosecutor's request. The act dictates how certain animals used in testing and research are treated. The company under investigation has conducted experiments resulting in the deaths of over 1,500 animals, including 280 sheep, pigs, and monkeys since 2018. This was reported by Reuters in the past.

The investigation is examining if the USDA monitored Neuralink.

Neuralink tweeted on Thursday. They're not ready for a clinical trial.

The Neuralink team did amazing work. They worked closely with the FDA. This is a big first step. One day, the technology will help many people. The company tweeted about it on Thursday.

Musk has big plans for Neuralink. He said he would put the device in his own kids because he's sure it's safe. People talked about it a lot.

In the future, Musk wants people, whether they are healthy or disabled, to be able to get surgical implants quickly at local centers. These implants are meant to help with many things like curing obesity, autism, depression, schizophrenia, and even allowing for web browsing and telepathy.