Second Sight Medical Products (EYES) Stock Higher Today After Success of Implants

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares ofSecond Sight Medical Products (EYES) are higherin morning trading today, up 20.28% to $10.20 after the California-basedmanufacturer of implantable visual prosthetics announced thatall three of the French centers approved to implant itsArgus II Retinal Prosthesis System have successfully completed their first implants in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

In 2014, the Argus II became the first-ever medical device to be named as the recipient of Forfait Innovation, aFrench Government national healthcare reimbursement program, which allowed select hospitals in France to offer this "early access" and innovative treatment to patients with advanced RP.

Forfait Innovation provides dedicated support to patients implanted with Argus II, funding the costs of implantation and patients' hospital fees. Now 36 RP patients in France stand to benefit from this technology with this first step in national reimbursement, the company said.

Exclusive Report: Jim Cramer's Best Stocks for 2015

"We are pleased to see RP patients, who previously had no treatment option, gain access to this revolutionary device through Forfait Innovation," Second SightCEODr. Robert Greenberg said. "There is great potential for patients in France, as the French government has taken a progressive step in supporting a sometimes overlooked patient population."

To date, the Argus II has been implanted in more than 100 individuals worldwide, and is the first approved retinal prosthesis in the world. Currently, the treatment is offered at approved centers in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, U.K. and the U.S.

Read more from the original source:
Second Sight Medical Products (EYES) Stock Higher Today After Success of Implants