Retina Implant AG's Lead Investigator Presents Patient Results at Retina International's 18th World Annual Congress

-- Professor Eberhart Zrenner Discusses the Future of Artificial Vision at Premier International Ophthalmology Meeting

PARIS, June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Retina Implant AG, the leading developer of subretinal implants for patients blinded by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), today announced that Professor Eberhart Zrenner, Retina Implant's co-founder and lead clinical trial investigator and founding director of the Institute of Ophthalmic Research, University of Tuebingen, Germany, presented results of the Company's CE marked Alpha IMS microchip at Retina International World Annual Conference. The conference, now in its 18^th year, took place 27 June - 29 June 2014, at the Pullman Montparnasse Hotel in Paris.

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In his presentation titled, "The Future of Retinal Implants," Zrenner described first-hand patient experiences with the Alpha IMS subretinal implant. Many of the patients implanted worldwide have reported the restoration of functional vision and the ability to distinguish faces, identify mid-sized objects, including phones and the ability to read signs on doors. The results included in this presentation led to CE mark of the Alpha IMS subretinal microchip and were the focus of two peer-reviewed studies appearing in the renowned journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Of the presentation, Zrenner remarked, "Retina International's conference draws the foremost authorities on retinal degeneration and patient advocacy groups. I am honoured that this group of my esteemed colleagues is interested in discussing the future of retinal implant technology. We are at a pivotal time in our industry as new treatment options become available to help RP patients regain some vision, making real what was once considered impossible."

"Retina International's World Congress represents a great opportunity to continue to update leading ophthalmologists and patient groups about the Alpha IMS subretinal implant and its potential impact for RP patients," said Walter-G Wrobel, CEO of Retina Implant AG. "Since receiving the CE mark last year, Professor Zrenner has been asked to share our patients' experiences at 10 important regional and international ophthalmology conferences. The ophthalmology community's keen interest in this topic will help as we continue to identify additional clinical partners to expand patient access to the Alpha IMS."

Retina International is an International charitable association of 33 national societies, each of which is run by people with RP, Usher Syndrome, Macular Degeneration and allied retinal dystrophies, their families and friends. The founders of Retina International are committed to facilitating the urgent development of and improving access to proven treatments and cures for these diseases. The annual Retina International World Conference presents ophthalmologists, scientists and patients with a unique opportunity to learn about the latest developments in basic science and clinical trials for inherited retinal degenerative diseases.

More information about the event and Professor Zrenner's presentation can be found on the Retina International World Congress website: http://www.retina2014.com/.

For more updates from the congress, please follow us on Twitter @RetinaImplant: https://twitter.com/RetinaImplant.

About Retina Implant AG
Retina Implant AG is the leading developer of subretinal implants for partially sighted and blind patients. After extensive research with German university hospitals and institutes which began with a large grant from the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education in 1996, Retina Implant AG was founded by Dr. Eberhart Zrenner, professor of Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Germany and his colleagues in 2003 with private investors with the goal of developing a fully-functioning electronic retinal implant to restore useful vision to the blind. Retina Implant began implanting human patients in 2005 and started a second, larger clinical trial in 2010. In July 2013, Retina Implant's wireless subretinal implant technology, Alpha IMS, received CE mark. To learn more, visit http://www.retina-implant.de/.