“We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!” the company tweeted Thursday. “This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people.”The U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not immediately reply when asked late Thursday to confirm or comment on the matter.
The FDA reportedly rejected the company’s previous request for human trials last year, citing safety concerns. In November, Musk — who’s co-founder and CEO of Neuralink — tweeted that he was “now confident that the Neuralink device is ready for humans,” and said he expected clinical trials to begin in six months.