The FDA has approved a new light delivery system termed photobiomodulation for treating intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of vision loss in people over 55. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for vision loss in dry AMD patients. The therapy has shown to improve vision by more than 5 letters on an eye chart over 24 months. This non-invasive treatment offers a new option for patients to improve their vision earlier in the disease process.
Duke Reading Center, under the leadership of Glenn Jaffe, MD, conducted the data analyses for the pivotal US LIGHTSITE III trial, which was crucial for the FDA’s approval. Duke was also one of the 10 clinical trial sites for LIGHTSITE III, with Eleonora (Nora) Lad, MD, PhD as the Primary Investigator and Stefanie Schuman, MD and Lejla Vajzovic, MD, FASRS as Sub-investigators.