Neuralink Rival Backed By Jeff Bezos And Bill Gates Broadens Horizons With Plans To Treat Parkinson's, Epilepsy

Ananya Gairola

May 09, 2024

Synchron Inc., a competitor to Elon Musk‘s Neuralink Corp. backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has revealed plans to extend its brain-device technology to treat conditions such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

What Happened: On Thursday at the Bloomberg Tech Summit, Synchron’s founder, Tom Oxley, disclosed the company’s expansion strategy saying that it intends to adapt its existing device, the Stentrode, for these new treatments, reported Bloomberg.

Oxley stated that the company intends to initiate a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Parkinson's and epilepsy treatment, but refrained from specifying the timeline.

See Also: Prominent Apple Bull Reveals Surprise Takeaway From Apple’s iPad Launch: Tim Cook’s AI Ambitions Now ‘Lot Faster…With Announcement Of M4 Chip’

Unlike Neuralink, Synchron’s approach does not require brain surgery. The Stentrode is implanted into a vein in the neck, and blood vessels transport it to the top of the brain’s motor cortex. Patients can then use the device to control external tools, such as computer cursors, using their thoughts.

The Stentrode is currently implanted in a small number of U.S. patients and is in the early feasibility stage of the review process.

Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.

Why It Matters: This development comes on the heels of a milestone for Neuralink. Just a day before Synchron’s announcement, Musk celebrated the successful 100-day milestone since the first human implant of Neuralink’s brain-computer interface (BCI). However, the company also acknowledged a malfunction in the system.

Noland Arbaugh, the first participant, underwent the implant procedure at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Following a successful surgery, Arbaugh was discharged the next day. However, Neuralink has now disclosed that a portion of the implant experienced malfunctioning post-surgery.

Meanwhile, Synchron had announced its plans to challenge Neuralink with an upcoming large-scale brain implant trial. Last month, it was reported that the company was advancing toward a pivotal clinical trial for its innovative brain implant technology.

Read Next: Is Apple Back In The EV Game? Tech Giant Reportedly Eyes Rivian Partnership

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Image via Shutterstock

Recommended

Is Big Pharma's Next Target Already in Play? - Ad

Urgent Copper Stock With Strong Catalysts - Ad

Copper Is Tight, Silver Is Rising - And This Early Nevada Play Hits the Timing Perfectly - Ad

Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest made significant trades involving Tesla, Pony AI, TSMC, and Baidu, highlighting their strategic positioning in tech & AI sectors.

Space forecasters say severe solar storms could hit Earth and trigger auroras

NEW YORK (AP) — Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday for incoming severe that could produce and temporarily disrupt communications.

New Number One Copper Start Alert

New Number One Copper Start Alert - Ad

EVs and AI devour copper. Supply cannot keep up. A Quebec discovery with high grade, infrastructure, and cheap power is funded to drill through the year. Catalysts are lining up. Institutions are circling. Move now while it is still early.

Indigenous groups get the spotlight at UN climate talks, but some say visibility isn't power

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — Indigenous people are used to adapting, so when the power failed at their kickoff event at this year's , they rolled with it. Participants from around the world sweated through song, dance and prayers, improvising without microphones and cooling themselves with fans made of paper or leaves.

16 Stocks To Buy If You Want To Escape The AI Hype

Bank of America is pointing investors toward 16 overlooked stocks with strong fundamentals and no direct ties to the AI boom—offering a safer path beyond the hype.

The Next 'Ozempic Moment' Could Be in Heart Disease

The Next 'Ozempic Moment' Could Be in Heart Disease - Ad

Just as Ozempic rewrote the obesity playbook, this breakthrough data could transform how we treat inflammatory heart disease. Fully funded. Multiple catalysts. $280B market opportunity.

Chuck Schumer Says 41-Day Shutdown Has Exposed Trump's 'Cruelty,' Accuses President Of Holding Innocent Kids, Veterans As 'Political Hostages'

Schumer condemns Trump's 'cruelty' behind longest shutdown in U.S. history, as thousands of Americans suffer from furloughs and disrupted services.

Jim Cramer Notes 'Horrible' Bitcoin Start To December As BTC Falls By $4,000 In Minutes

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is down almost 6% in the past 24 hours after a sudden wave of long-position liquidations erased nearly $4,000 from price in a

Why Are Wall Street Insiders Moving Their Money to This One Asset?

Why Are Wall Street Insiders Moving Their Money to This One Asset? - Ad

Something far more consequential for your money than tariffs is unfolding behind the scenes... Tucked inside this overlooked directive is a plan set to be executed for the first time in in U.S. history. One Stansberry Research's Senior Partner says it's set to trigger a rare window for potentially explosive gains in ONE asset immediately. (Not AI or crypto). Wall Street insiders are already positioning themselves... and he insists you should, too, before it's too late.

UK leader Keir Starmer backs his Treasury chief over claims she misled the public about the economy

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday defended his Treasury chief against opposition claims that she misled the public and the markets about the state of the public finances before .

Lawsuit challenges TSA's ban on transgender officers conducting pat-downs

A Virginia transportation security officer is accusing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of sex discrimination over a policy that bars transgender officers from performing security screening pat-downs, according to a federal lawsuit.

Bitcoin's Pullback Could Be Your Gain

Bitcoin's Pullback Could Be Your Gain - Ad

More than 70 cryptos have recently outperformed Bitcoin and it's not the first time. During crypto's last bull market the top 100 coins NOT named Bitcoin went up by 174%. Now the signs show that it's happening again. This could be a chance to strike gold in some far corners of the crypto market.

Cathie Wood Dumps $11.6 Million Worth Of Tesla Stock: Here Is What Ark Purchased Instead

On Wednesday, Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest made significant trades involving Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), Coinbase Global Inc.

Coreweave, Rocket Lab, AST Spacemobile, Rigetti And Bigbear.Ai: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today

Major U.S. indexes closed higher on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing 0.8% to 47,368.63.

A Tiny Biotech Just Posted 10× Stronger Cancer Results

A Tiny Biotech Just Posted 10× Stronger Cancer Results - Ad

Early studies show this breakthrough delivery platform would make cancer treatments safer and more powerful. Now, with Big Pharma watching closely, investors are starting to take notice of what could be the next major biotech story.

How Tyson's Chicken Business Will Offset Beef Weakness

Tyson shares rise as pricing catch-up expected to ease cost pressures; chicken strength offsets beef headwinds amid stable feed costs.

Elon Musk Says Bitcoin Is Based On Energy, The 'True Currency' — Tesla CEO Says His 'Interesting Side Quest' DOGE Is Still Going On

Tesla and SpaceX CEO reiterated in an interview aired Sunday that Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is based on energy, categorizing it among &#8

First Drug to Show Breakthrough Myocarditis Data. Analysts See Potential 7-10x Upside.

First Drug to Show Breakthrough Myocarditis Data. Analysts See Potential 7-10x Upside. - Ad

This biotech just delivered a medical first in myocarditis and has a Phase 3 trial fully funded into 2027. Wall Street targets imply massive revaluation ahead.

Japan's SoftBank says it has sold its shares in Nvidia for $5.8 billion

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese technology company SoftBank Group Corp. said Tuesday that it has sold all the Nvidia Corp. shares that it owned for $5.83 billion, while it reported higher than expected profit in the first half of this fiscal year.

FDA's Prasad Cites Alleged Child COVID Shot Deaths in Push for Stricter Rules

FDA's new vaccine strategy tightens approval rules after internal findings linked COVID-19 shots to several child deaths.

Nevada's Mining Renaissance Is Accelerating - And This Early Opportunity Is Well Positioned

Nevada's Mining Renaissance Is Accelerating - And This Early Opportunity Is Well Positioned - Ad

Nevada's Walker Lane belt has produced 50M+ ounces of gold since the 1800s, and it's waking up again. One of the neighborhood's latest successes just secured over $6M in U.S. support and is up more than 300% YTD. Now a new early-stage explorer has moved in next door.

Elon Musk Says Tesla, xAI Are 'Trending Towards Convergence' In Some Ways

Elon Musk's companies could potentially merge in the future as he continues to integrate AI into his ventures.

XRP Jumps 10% In A Week As First-Ever Spot ETF Eyes Thursday Launch

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) surged 10% over the past seven days amid mounting anticipation for the first-ever XRP ETF, which could launch as early as this week.

Is Big Pharma's Next Target Already in Play?

Is Big Pharma's Next Target Already in Play? - Ad

A small biotech may have cracked one of medicine's biggest problems-how to deliver cancer drugs safely and effectively. With patented technology and promising early data, it's already catching the attention of Big Pharma.

Yemen's Houthi rebels signal that they've stopped attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels are signaling they’ve stopped their as a holds in the Gaza Strip.

Dogecoin Fakes A Rally Then Dumps 3%—But Why?

Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) fell close to 3% on Tuesday, as large holders shifted roughly $32 million worth of DOGE to exchanges, putting sellers back in control.

Urgent Copper Stock With Strong Catalysts

Urgent Copper Stock With Strong Catalysts - Ad

Quebec discovery. Strong grades. Roads and hydro in place. Funding secured for a busy drill calendar. Each assay can build scale and tighten the window for early entries as EVs and data centers pull harder on copper. Do not wait.

Joan Branson, wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, dies at 80

Joan Branson, the wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, has died at age 80.

Air travelers face frustration as FAA's further drop in flights takes effect

Air travelers could face as busy U.S. airports need to meet a higher Federal Aviation Administration target for reducing flights Tuesday after already canceling thousands to scale back demands on the nation’s aviation system during the .

Copper Is Tight, Silver Is Rising - And This Early Nevada Play Hits the Timing Perfectly

Copper Is Tight, Silver Is Rising - And This Early Nevada Play Hits the Timing Perfectly - Ad

AI, electrification, battery storage, and data centers are pushing copper and silver demand sharply higher, even as supply stays tight. This region in Nevada offers rare multi-metal potential, and a new company has secured land in a district the surging district. It's one of the cleanest timing setups in the sector right now.

Watchdog group Public Citizen demands OpenAI withdraw AI video app Sora over deepfake dangers

The tech industry is moving fast and breaking things again — and this time it is humanity’s shared reality and control of our likeness before and after death — thanks to artificial intelligence image-generation platforms .

White House's 50-year mortgage proposal has one notable benefit but a number of drawbacks

NEW YORK (AP) — The White House says it is considering backing a 50-year mortgage to help alleviate the home affordability crisis in the country. But the announcement drew immediate criticism from policymakers, social media and economists, who said a 50-year mortgage would do little to resolve other core problems in the housing market, such as a lack of supply and high interest rates.

New Number One Copper Start Alert

New Number One Copper Start Alert - Ad

Weekend Round-Up: TSMC Trade Secrets Lawsuit, Google Deepmind Scientist's Market Slam, Baidu Layoffs, Amazon's Court Victory And More

From allegations of trade secret leaks at Taiwan's TSMC to layoffs at Baidu Inc, here's a recap of tech news this week.

The Key to a Winning 401(k)

: when to start, how much to save, and where to invest. The investing decision has drawn more attention as government regulators work to open 401(k) plans to alternative assets such as .

The Next 'Ozempic Moment' Could Be in Heart Disease

The Next 'Ozempic Moment' Could Be in Heart Disease - Ad

Just as Ozempic rewrote the obesity playbook, this breakthrough data could transform how we treat inflammatory heart disease. Fully funded. Multiple catalysts. $280B market opportunity.

JPMorgan Forecasts Bitcoin Bottom, Anticipates $28.3 Trillion Challenge To Gold By 2026

Analysts at JPMorgan have pinpointed the lowest point of the ongoing Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) price fall and also projected a substantial chall

OpenAI's Partners Rake Up $96 Billion Debt as AI Industry's Borrowing Trend Escalates

Companies supplying data centers, chips, and processing power to OpenAI have racked up a staggering $96 billion in debt to fund their operations.

Why Are Wall Street Insiders Moving Their Money to This One Asset?

Why Are Wall Street Insiders Moving Their Money to This One Asset? - Ad

Iran confirms seizure of oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Saturday confirmed as it traveled through the narrow Strait of Hormuz over violations including carrying an illegal consignment, state media reported.

Trending Now