Valeda Light Therapy: A New Option for Dry Macular Degeneration By Adam AufderHeide, MD, PhD, FASRS
As a retina specialist, I am cautious about new technology. Before bringing a treatment into my practice, I want to understand the science, the evidence supporting it, and—most importantly—whether the potential benefit to my patients justifies the risk.
That is the approach I have taken with Valeda® Light Delivery Therapy, a new, non-invasive treatment for certain patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
What Is Valeda?
Valeda uses photobiomodulation (PBM), which delivers specific wavelengths of light to the retina. The goal is to stimulate cellular activity, particularly within the mitochondria—the structures responsible for producing energy within our cells.
The retina has tremendous energy demands, and oxidative stress, inflammation, and declining mitochondrial function are believed to contribute to the development and progression of AMD. Photobiomodulation is designed to influence these cellular processes using light rather than medication or surgery.
In November 2024, the FDA authorized Valeda for certain patients with dry AMD, making it the first photobiomodulation device authorized for the treatment of the disease.
Where Does Valeda Fit?
The treatment landscape for dry AMD has changed significantly in recent years.
In 2023, Syfovre® and Izervay™ became available for geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of dry AMD. These injectable medications can slow the progression of GA and represented an important advancement for patients who have reached that stage of disease.
What interests me about Valeda is the opportunity to treat certain patients earlier in the disease process, before advanced atrophy and irreversible retinal damage have occurred.
Valeda is not a cure for AMD, nor can it restore retinal cells that have already been lost. But the possibility of preserving visual function and potentially influencing disease progression earlier in the course of AMD is compelling.
What Does the Research Tell Us?
The clinical evidence for Valeda comes largely from the LIGHTSITE trials. In the randomized, sham-controlled LIGHTSITE III study, patients receiving photobiomodulation demonstrated encouraging improvements in visual function, as well as findings suggesting a potential reduction in progression to geographic atrophy.
There is an important limitation: the trial was relatively small. LIGHTSITE III included 100 patients and 148 eyes.
That gave me pause. While the study was well designed, I would like to see larger studies and additional long-term data. As with any newer therapy, there are still things we will learn as it is used more broadly.
So why offer it now?
For me, it comes down to weighing the evidence against the risk. The research is promising, and Valeda has demonstrated a favorable safety profile. Treatment is non-invasive, with no injections, incisions, or anesthesia. I have also spoken with trusted colleagues in retina who have reviewed the same research and chosen to adopt this technology in their own practices.
Taken together, I believe there is enough evidence—and a favorable enough risk-benefit profile—to make Valeda available to appropriate patients while continuing to follow the research closely.
That doesn't mean it is right for everyone, and I cannot promise that an individual patient's vision will improve. It means it is another option worth discussing.
What Is Treatment Like?
A Valeda treatment series consists of nine sessions, typically performed three times per week over three to five weeks. The treatment itself is brief, requires no injection or anesthesia, and patients can return to their normal activities afterward.
Treatment series may be repeated periodically depending on the patient's individual circumstances and treatment plan.
Is Valeda Right for You?
Not every patient with dry AMD is a candidate for Valeda. The stage and characteristics of the disease, visual acuity, retinal imaging, and the presence of geographic atrophy or wet AMD all factor into that decision.
This is why I believe the conversation should begin with an examination, not with the treatment itself.
For the first time, we are beginning to have a growing toolbox for dry AMD—from injectable therapies for geographic atrophy to photobiomodulation for certain patients earlier in the disease process. None of these treatments is a cure, and careful monitoring, AREDS2 vitamins when appropriate, and healthy lifestyle choices remain important.
But having more options is progress.
At Retina Care Center, my goal is to combine new technology with thoughtful, individualized medical care. Valeda is still new, and there is more to learn. Based on the research available today, however, I believe it is an option worth offering—and I am encouraged by what it may mean for patients with dry AMD.
Want to learn more? I encourage patients to be informed and to review the research for themselves. You can read the published clinical research on photobiomodulation and Valeda here: Read the Valeda clinical study on PubMed Central.
Adam AufderHeide, MD, PhD, FASRS
Retina Care Center