Armed with a recent authorization from the FDA, eye specialists are offering light therapy to patients with non-exudative (dry) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), aiming to stop or even reverse vision loss. Proponents claim the treatment can be helpful, but the cost and burden are high, insurance coverage is iffy, and skeptics warn that data are sparse.

Dry AMD develops when parts of the macula “get thinner with age, and tiny deposits called drusen build up,” according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The dry form accounts for 80% of patients with AMD, which affects an estimated 20 million people ages 40 and older in the U.S.

Treatments are available for dry AMD patients who also have geographic atrophy, but until the FDA’s recent authorization of light therapy, those with dry AMD alone had no treatment options other than taking vitamins known as AREDS2 supplements that have been shown to decrease progression to neovascular (wet) AMD.

Light Therapy Makes a Splash

Photobiomodulation (PBM), which uses near-infrared wavelengths, has shown beneficial effects across multiple medical disciplines, including neurology, dermatology, and orthopedics, Christina Weng, MD, of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told MedPage Today.

“The way PBM works has been ascribed to improving mitochondrial function by activating cytochrome C oxidase, decreasing inflammation, and promoting wound healing,” Weng said.

LumiThera has been a pioneer in testing light therapy for AMD. The 24-month results of the phase III LIGHTSITE III study impressed attendees at the 2024 American Society of Retina Specialists meeting, and the FDA later authorized LumiThera’s Valeda Light Delivery System.

Read more: https://www.medpagetoday.com/spotlight/aao-amd/119102?fbclid=IwY2xjawO2LgNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe-o_6-QiOjMlU0aZlL76BU0vjHVuGBMlvVKJmzZKxZFs_XDnW8M0fngO0k3w_aem_PyWweFsCf_luyyrfT2mQDg

Source: MEDPAGE Today