Specialist eye hospital group Optegra has launched a brand-new treatment for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and it is currently only available at Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester.
This treatment gives hope for patients with this degenerative condition to maintain their vision – previously there has been no treatment available and patients have been advised on diet and lifestyle only.
Valeda® Light Therapy is revolutionary – it uses different wavelengths of light to target the cells at the back of the eye (which are not functioning well for people with AMD) to re-invigorate and improve their function. This means that the current level of vision will be maintained longer, rather than the inevitable deterioration which patients were warned of prior to this new treatment.
It can also lead to improvement in vision in many cases. A recent trial[1] revealed that on average patients responded with a five-letter gain, approximately a line on a standard vision chart, some gained more. By the end of two years 67% had gained more than five letters, on average 9.2.
AMD is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting over 700,000[2], a condition which affects central vision. One in every 200 people has AMD at age 60 years[3]. As vision is distorted, details, colour, reading and the ability to see faces declines.
Until now there has only been treatment for those suffering with Wet AMD, in the form of regular injections.
For those with Dry AMD – the vast majority, as 80 per cent of people with AMD have the Dry form of the disease[4] – the only advice so far has been to stop smoking, to eat a healthy diet, and to take specific supplements to try and slow the decline.
Dry AMD can be severe and is a leading cause for people in the UK to be registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired; around 340,000 people are registered blind or partially sighted in the UK, and 48 % of these are due to AMD[5]. It is also a common reason for people to lose their driving licence, as the disease progresses, which hugely affects independence.
As medical retina expert, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Mr Sajjad Mahmood at Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester, has been offering the treatment to his patients since January 2024.
“After so many years of having to report to my patients that there are no direct treatment options, I am so happy to now provide hope. A treatment which is not invasive, and which trials have shown to make a real difference.
Mr Sajjad Mahmood
“I have many patients with Dry AMD and have had to watch their vision decline over the years, and then they request a review some years later. To still have to tell them there is no treatment is heart-breaking.
“But now that can change – with this new treatment we hope that a good proportion of patients with the earlier forms of dry AMD will improve their vision or at least stabilise the condition. We can also preserve their existing vision for longer and reduce the rate at which they progress to more advanced forms of dry AMD which affect their lifestyle and independence.”
Grandmother Patricia Newton, 80, lives near Lyme Park in Stockport, and was the first patient to receive the new eye treatment at Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester in Didsbury. She said:
“When I was diagnosed, I faced the prospect of no treatment which was very difficult, and I was worried about how bad my vision would become. I know some people lose their central vision to the extent they cannot see the faces of their family and friends. I was happy to be the first patient, and I am optimistic that this will help save my vision in the future. Up until this week it has just been a matter of eating carrots, green veg and berries – now I am actively treating this condition which is wonderful.”
Patricia Newton
Optegra will provide the treatment in an outpatient setting. Once a patient has had the necessary tests to confirm they are suitable, they will attend a series of appointments over a three-week cycle. This will involve less than five minutes per eye, looking into the Valeda Light Delivery System; the procedure is not invasive, no needles or drops are involved and there is no pain.
As they look into the machine, a series of different wavelengths of LED light are delivered which will target and stimulate the cells in the macula. This process is Photobiomodulation (PBM) which uses LED light to target cells and improve their function; this process has been used for decades for other conditions.
It is recommended that patients receive Valeda treatment by attending three cycles a year for maximum effect.
Trials have revealed benefits for patients treated with this therapy compared to sham patients, with stabilisation of the condition and vision improvements. In addition, there are certain markers in the anatomy for people with Dry AMD, such as some waste products (drusen deposits) building up under the retina – and this build-up has also been shown to reduce for the patients in the trial.
The Lightsite III trial[6] results showed:
Photobiomodulation (PBM) patients versus sham patients show statistically significant improvement in best corrected vision (BCVA) letter score:
55 per cent of PBM patients responded with up to five letter gain at 13 months, raising to 67.2% at 24 months
26.4 per cent of PBM patients responded with up to a 10 letter gain
Approximately two times more patients lost BCVA letter scores in the sham eyes versus the PBM treated eyes
9.8% of sham patients presented with new onset advanced degeneration (geographic atrophy) of the macular after 13 months, compared to only 1.1% of PBM patients. This rose further to 24% amongst sham patients after 24 months but only 6.8% of PBM patients.
There have been no treatment-related side effects noted in previous studies with the Valeda treatment.
Treatments for Valeda Light Therapy are currently available at Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester, with a view to expanding the offering to Optegra’s other specialist hospitals in the future.
Optegra Eye Health Care is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services. Established in 2007, with its first hospital opening in 2008, it has completed over one million eye procedures from its 31 eye hospitals and over 60 locations across the UK, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.
Optegra brings together leading-edge research, medical expertise and state-of-the-art surgical equipment. It performs more than 140,000 treatments annually, both private and publicly funded. Its top ophthalmic surgeons are renowned for their areas of expertise, offering excellent clinical outcomes and great patient service.
www.optegra.com
Tel: 0800 077 3272
[1] Valeda’s Lightsite III Month 13 Data Results; and Valeda Lightsite III Month 24 Data
[2] Macular Society: https://www.macularsociety.org/macular-disease/macular-conditions/
[3] Macular Society: https://www.macularsociety.org/macular-disease/macular-conditions/age-related-macular-degeneration/
[4] It is estimated that about 80% of people with AMD have non-neovascular or atrophic AMD. Ref: AAO (2019) Age-related macular degeneration preferred practice pattern. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.aao.org/ppp [Free Full-text]
[5] RNIB ‘Key statistics about sight loss’ 2021, quoting Public Health England (2021) Public Health Outcomes Framework
[6] Valeda’s Lightsite III Month 13 Data Results; and Valeda Lightsite III Month 24 Data
