The FDA recently announced its approval of LumiThera's Valeda system as a therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Almost 20 million Americans are affected by dry AMD and it is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States for adults over 60. Currently, there are no treatments available for dry AMD. The Valeda system is the first light-based therapy for treatment of AMD.
LumiThera is a medical device company that focuses on photobiomodulation devices for patients with ocular diseases and they have created the Valeda system to help patients dealing with dry AMD. Photobiomodulation uses different wavelengths of light to revive photoreceptor cells in the retina. The Valeda system targets mitochondria, which in turn, increases meatabolism and cellular proliferation.
Clinical trials of Valeda resulted in improvements in best-corrected visual acuity after two years of treatment. The Valeda system is already currently in use in Europe.
