Valeda® – A New Treatment for Dry Macular Degeneration

What is Valeda?

Valeda® is a new, FDA-approved light therapy for treating Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD). It was approved in the U.S. in November 2024 and is the first treatment available for this condition in the United States.

This treatment has already been used safely and successfully in Europe since 2019, with over 500,000 treatments done and no serious side effects reported.

How does it work?

Valeda® uses gentle light therapy, known as photobiomodulation, to help improve the health of the retina — the part of your eye responsible for clear central vision. The light comes from low-powered LEDs (not lasers), and the treatment is:

  • Non-invasive (nothing touches your eye)
  • Painless
  • Safe — there is no heat discomfort or harm to your eye. It uses three types of light: red, yellow, and near-infrared (invisible), to stimulate and support the cells in the back of your eye.

What is Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

Dry AMD is a common eye disease that affects people over age 65 and can lead to vision loss over time. It happens when the cells in the central part of the retina (the macula) become damaged, possibly due to poor blood flow or a buildup of waste in the eye.

Dry AMD is more common than Wet AMD, and it currently has no cure — but Valeda® can help slow the progression of the disease and may improve vision.

What to Expect from Your Light Therapy Treatment

27 Total Treatments Over One Year

  • Delivered in three sets of 9 treatments:

Quick & Convenient Sessions

  • Each session lasts about 10 minutes
  • Scheduled three times a week for 3–4 weeks per set

Repeatable if Needed

  • Treatments may be repeated in the future based on your response

No Pain, No Injections, No Drops

  • No dilation, needles, or eye drops required
  • The treatment is gentle and painless

Simple & Comfortable Experience

  • Remove glasses or contacts before each session
  • Sit comfortably and follow simple instructions, such as when to open or close your eyes
  • You will see a red light and may feel a gentle warmth during treatment

No Downtime

  • Normal activities can be resumed immediately after each session
  • A follow-up exam will be done before beginning the second and third treatment sets

Is it safe?

Yes. Valeda® has been used in Europe since 2019 with excellent safety results. Over half a million treatments have been performed without any major side effects.

Things to Know

While many people in the clinical studies and in Europe have seen improvement in their vision, results can vary. This treatment is not a cure for AMD, and vision may still get worse over time, or the disease may progress to the more serious “wet” form of AMD.

Pricing

$2,400 for 9 treatments (one eye) or $3,000 for 9 treatments (both eyes)

LIGHTSITE III Clinical Trial

Before treatment at Baseline, there were piles of waste-like material (drusen) under the retina, which can damage vision over time. After PBM therapy, those piles shrank, the retina looked smoother and healthier, and the patient’s vision even improved — they could read 4 more letters on the vision chart at Month 12.