Pixium Vision announces successful implantation of first patient in the US with the Prima System

• Implanted in patient suffering from dry form of Age-related Macular Degeneration (dry-AMD)
• First use of proprietary implantation device specifically developed for the Prima System
• Implantation conducted in the US by Department of Ophthalmology at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Paris, France, January 13, 2020 – 05:45 pm CET - Pixium Vision (FR0011950641 - PIX), a bioelectronics company developing innovative bionic vision systems to enable patients who have lost their sight to lead more independent lives, announces the first successful Prima System implantation of a patient in the US suffering from dry-AMD. The patient, recruited in the course of the US feasibility study, underwent the procedure at the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), led by Professor José A. Sahel*, co-founder of Pixium Vision and director of the UPMC Eye Center.

“The implantation of the first patient in the US is an important milestone for Pixium Vision and a key step towards developing a treatment for a significant unmet medical need. We thank the patient, family and the medical team at UPMC in opening a new chapter for Pixium Vision in the US, which we have worked towards in close cooperation with the FDA and the hospital,” says Lloyd Diamond, Chief Executive Officer of Pixium Vision. “This first patient is one of the five planned in the US feasibility study who will add to Prima’s clinical dataset in view of the upcoming pivotal trial of the Prima System in dry-AMD, which we plan to file in H1 2020. This trial will pave the way for regulatory approval.”

The procedure was the first to use Pixium Vision’s newly developed and proprietary implantation device, which is designed to ease the surgical procedure and lower any potential side effects. After a healing period lasting around one month, the patient will start the rehabilitation process, using the newest generation Prima System allowing for the combination of both natural residual vision and prosthetic vision. The new Prima System includes proprietary transparent glasses which have recently been introduced among patients treated in France. The preliminary results are encouraging and should be made available in Q1 2020.

“We are proud to be the first US center to participate in the clinical assessment of this promising technology,” says Joseph N Martel, MD, the implanting retinal surgeon.  “We look forward to accompanying the patient in their rehabilitation process to better understand the full potential of the Prima System in helping to improve the quality of life in patients with dry-AMD, a disease for which currently there is no treatment.”

The US feasibility trial, conducted both at UPMC and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, is running in parallel with the French first-in-human trial. Both trials are evaluating the Prima System in patients afflicted with an advance form of dry-AMD. The 12-month results from the French trial already demonstrated the ability of most of patients to identify sequences of letters, and there were no device-related serious adverse events.

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About PRIMA

PRIMA is a new generation miniaturized and totally wireless sub-retinal implant. The 2x2 millimeters wide and 30 microns thick photovoltaic chip contains 378 electrodes. Implanted under the retina via a minimally invasive surgical procedure, it acts like an array of tiny solar panels powered by pulsed near infrared light projected from a miniature projector integrated into augmented reality glasses, along with a mini camera. PRIMA is designed to restore sight in patients blinded by retinal dystrophies – a very significant unmet medical need. The target population includes patients with atrophic dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (dry AMD), and Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). In addition to a clinical trial with five atrophic dry-AMD patients in France, PRIMA is approved for a similar five-patients study in USA.

Pixium Vision is creating a world of bionic vision for those who have lost their sight, enabling them to regain partial visual perception and greater autonomy. Pixium Vision’s bionic vision systems are associated with a surgical intervention and a rehabilitation period. Pixium Vision is in clinical stage with PRIMA, its sub-retinal miniature photovoltaic wireless implant system, designed for patients who have lost their sight due to outer retinal degeneration, initially for atrophic dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). Pixium Vision collaborates closely with academic and research partners spanning across the prestigious Vision research institutions including Stanford University in California, Institut de la Vision in Paris, Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, Institute of Ocular Microsurgery (IMO) in Barcelona, University hospital in Bonn, and UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA. The company is EN ISO 13485 certified and qualifies as “Entreprise Innovante” by Bpifrance.

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Disclaimer:

This press release may expressly or implicitly contain forward-looking statements relating to Pixium Vision and its activity. Such statements are related to known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could lead actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements to differ materially from Vision Pixium results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.

Pixium Vision provides this press release as of the aforementioned date and does not commit to update forward looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For a description of risks and uncertainties which could lead to discrepancies between actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements and those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to Chapter 4 "Risk Factors" of the company’s Registration Document filed with the AMF under number D.19-0364 on April 18, 2019 which can be found on the websites of the AMF - AMF () and of Pixium Vision ().

*holds shares in Pixium Vision

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