Elon Musk-Founded Brain Implant Firm Faces DOT Fines for Hazardous Material Violations

Neuralink, the brain implant company founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk, is facing fines for breaching U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations related to the transportation of hazardous materials. 

During inspections in February 2023 at Neuralink’s facilities in Texas and California, the DOT investigators uncovered the company’s failure to register as a hazardous material transporter.

The violation details, obtained through an open records request by the Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine (PCRM), an anti-animal testing advocacy group, Reuters noted, citing a spokesperson from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the regulatory body overseeing the investigation.

While the records examined by Reuters highlight the fines, they do not explain why Neuralink needed to transport hazardous materials or any potential harm from these violations. 

The FDA granted Neuralink clearance for its first human trial in 2023, a crucial step for the company valued at approximately $5 billion.

The DOT inquiry, initiated following reports of internal complaints by Neuralink employees about rushed animal experiments causing suffering and deaths, has now concluded. 

Despite PCRM’s concerns of potential contamination during the transport of brain implants, the records reviewed by Reuters found no evidence of Neuralink shipping infectious substances.

Ryan Merkley, PCRM’s director of research advocacy, criticized Neuralink’s practices, stating that the violations underscore the company’s “sloppy, unsafe” approach.

Last year, PCRM raised concerns with DOT, suggesting that Neuralink, in 2019, potentially transported brain implants for monkey experiments without adequate containment measures. 

The organization alleged that these implants might have been exposed to antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus and herpes B virus, posing a contamination risk.

In September, Neuralink recruited its first test subjects for human trials to assist individuals with paralysis in controlling devices.

Neuralink announced that it has obtained approval from an independent institutional review board and the initial hospital site, enabling the commencement of recruitment for its first-in-human clinical trial known as “The PRIME Study” (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface).

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

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