Neuralink canceled a planned implant surgery for a prospective second trial participant after additional medical issues made the candidate unsuitable, according to a July 1, 2024 report by Futurism, which cited Bloomberg. The candidate was reported to have ALS, but the specific issues were not disclosed. Neuralink later said a second PRIME Study participant received an implant in July 2024; it did not say whether that was the same person.
What was reported about the canceled surgery?
The July 1, 2024 Futurism report said the prospective participant had additional medical issues that led to the cancellation. It identified the unnamed candidate as having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, but did not describe the additional issues.
Futurism attributed the explanation to Michael Lawton, CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, speaking to Bloomberg. Lawton said, “Selecting the right patient for a trial like this is important,” and added, “Everybody involved, clinically and surgically, wants to get it right.” Those remarks explain the emphasis on participant selection; they do not provide a detailed clinical rationale. The report did not say that ALS itself caused the cancellation.
What happened after the cancellation?
At the time of the report, Lawton reportedly anticipated that a replacement candidate might undergo surgery the following month. That was an expectation, not confirmation of a scheduled operation.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →In an August 21, 2024 PRIME Study progress update, Neuralink said its second participant had received an implant in July 2024. The update establishes that another participant was implanted, but does not identify that person as the candidate whose surgery was canceled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Neuralink later said about its trial
In its later update, “Two Years of Telepathy”, Neuralink described trial surgeries across 2024 and 2025 and said it was investigating implant and surgical changes after electrode-thread retraction issues. The company also reported zero serious device-related adverse events as of that update. That safety statement is Neuralink’s own reporting, not an independent assessment.
Quick Recap
What remains unknown
- The specific additional medical issues that made the prospective participant unsuitable were not disclosed.
- The available reports do not establish whether the participant later implanted in July 2024 was the same person considered for the canceled surgery.
- The reports do not provide the candidate’s full medical history, Neuralink’s selection criteria, or a complete independent assessment of the trial.
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