A low-level light treatment known as photobiomodulation is being developed by the LumiThera company and could be a non-invasive and effective therapy for treating macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. Photobiomodulation is already in use to treat chronic pain and accelerate healing from sports injuries and has a great safety record.
A trial of 30 patients will begin at the end of 2015 and the patients will receive two rounds of treatments using the LumiThera device. The sessions last less than five minutes per eye and each round consists of nine sessions. A follow-up round will occur six months after the initial treatment.
Researchers are hopeful that if the trial is successful, that the LumiThera device could be available in the European market in 2016 and then follow suit in the United States soon after that.