Neuralink Receives Approval for First Non-U.S. Clinical Trial in Canada

The University Health Network (UHN) stated that its Toronto Western Hospital will become the first non-U.S. trial site for devices developed by Neuralink Corp., the brain-computer interface company under Elon Musk.

“UHN CEO Kevin Smith stated in a press release, ‘We are proud to be at the forefront of advancements in neurosurgical research.’ He also mentioned that UHN would be Canada’s ‘first and only’ trial site, but did not specify when it would begin.”

On Wednesday, Neuralink announced that it had received approval from Canadian regulators to initiate clinical trials of its device in the country.

“Health Canada has approved the launch of our first clinical trial in Canada!” the company posted on X, the social media service owned by Musk. “Recruitment is now open.”

Neuralink added that it is seeking patients with quadriplegia due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or spinal cord injury.

Health Canada did not immediately comment.

For several months, Neuralink has been recruiting patients in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, providing a registration link on its website. Other companies in the field, such as Synchron Inc., are also recruiting participants for their future trials.

Neuralink’s first product is designed to enable patients to control external devices, such as computers, using their thoughts. Neuralink is also researching treatments for blindness and other conditions, but this initiative still has a long way to go. Elon Musk has stated that in the distant future, Neuralink could collaborate with healthy individuals on functions such as memory enhancement.

Earlier this year, the company’s first human patient, Noland Arbaugh, received a Neuralink implant at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

Responsible Editor: Wang Yongsheng