A Chico eye care provider is now offering a light-based treatment designed to slow one of the leading causes of vision loss in older adults before it progresses to severe stages. The treatment, called Valeda, delivers specific wavelengths of light to the eye over a series of sessions and is aimed at patients with dry age-related macular degeneration, a condition caused by the gradual thinning of the macula, the part of the retina responsible for central vision.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Valeda as a light-based treatment for dry AMD, according to Action News Now. The station reports that the treatment is painless, quick and done entirely in-office, and that it works by delivering those light wavelengths over a period of sessions rather than in a single visit. Importantly, the outlet notes that Valeda is a treatment, not a cure, and that it takes time before patients see results.
How the Light Therapy Is Meant to Work
The device is intended to help maintain and, in some cases, improve vision for patients already dealing with dry AMD, per the same report. Dr. Heidi Houlihan, cited in the coverage, pointed to age, obesity, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease as additional risk factors tied to the condition beyond the natural thinning of the macula.
The FDA's marketing authorization for LumiThera's Valeda Light Delivery System was granted in November 2024 for patients with dry age-related macular degeneration, according to Ophthalmology Times. The FDA's own device documentation describes the generic category simply as a light-based device for dry age-related macular degeneration, according to the FDA's device review.
What the Clinical Data Shows
The authorization leaned on findings from the LIGHTSITE III clinical trial, which evaluated whether Valeda's photobiomodulation approach could slow the progression of dry AMD, according to the Macular Society. The trial enrolled 100 subjects with early to intermediate dry AMD across 10 leading U.S. retinal centers, Ophthalmology Times reports. At 24 months, patients in the treatment group gained an average of 5.9 letters of best-corrected visual acuity compared with 1.0 letters in the sham group, and roughly 58% of treated eyes gained more than five letters, with a mean gain of 8.5 letters, the outlet notes.
Incident geographic atrophy, a more advanced form of vision loss, was also lower in treated eyes than in sham-treated eyes, at 6.8% versus 24%, per Ophthalmology Times. The Macular Society separately reported that after 13 months of treatment, Valeda-treated eyes showed significant vision improvement compared with sham treatment, with around 55% of treated eyes improving by at least five letters on the eye chart.
Researchers Urge Caution on the Evidence
Despite the encouraging trial results, the Macular Society has said more research involving a larger group of patients is needed to fully assess photobiomodulation with Valeda. The organization points to the EUROLIGHT study, which is expanding the research by collecting treatment-outcome data from between 500 and 1,000 patients across all stages of AMD.
A systematic review and meta-analysis identified limitations in the existing evidence base for photobiomodulation in dry AMD, including small sample sizes, and it cautioned that statistically significant improvements do not necessarily translate into clinical benefits, according to a study indexed on PubMed. That assessment stands alongside the more positive trial findings as part of an evidence base that researchers say is still developing.
For now, Chico-area patients with dry AMD have a new, FDA-authorized option to discuss with their eye care providers, one that early trial data suggests may help slow disease progression for some patients, even as the broader research community continues gathering data to confirm how significant and lasting those benefits are.
