AMD management
Brazos Eye Surgery of Texas offers Valeda™, an in-office light treatment made by Alcon, for certain patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD).
What Valeda™ is
Valeda™ is a prescription light-delivery system. The treatment is called photobiomodulation. It is noninvasive, it is done in the office, and it uses three wavelengths of light. Alcon described it that way on September 3, 2025, when it completed the LumiThera acquisition.
What the FDA authorized
In November 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorization for Valeda™ under De Novo DEN230083. The FDA says it is intended to provide improved visual acuity in certain patients with dry AMD. Those patients have best-corrected vision of 20/32 through 20/70. Their dry AMD includes at least three medium drusen, large drusen, or geographic atrophy that does not involve the center of the macula. The indication does not include eyes with neovascular maculopathy, or geographic atrophy that involves the center.
The FDA also states that after about two years, people treated with Valeda™ had, on average, about one line better vision on the eye chart (ETDRS) than people who did not receive the treatment.
Comfort in the main study
In the main clinical study, LIGHTSITE III, more than 97% of patients reported no pain or discomfort. Alcon reported that finding on July 7, 2025.
What these results do not mean
These figures are average study results. Results vary. Valeda™ is not a cure. Alcon has described dry AMD as a progressive disease with no cure.
Who it may be for
Not everyone with dry AMD is a candidate. Your eye doctor examines you and decides whether Valeda™ may be appropriate. As a precaution, people have not been tested, and should not be treated, if they have a known sensitivity to yellow light, red light, or near-infrared light, or a history of light-activated conditions such as epilepsy or migraine. Tell your doctor your full health history.
What to expect
- An eye exam to see if Valeda™ is right for you
- Treatment is done in our office
- No needles — only light is used
Loading the form…
Brazos Eye Surgery of Texas · 201 Londonderry Dr, Waco, TX 76712
This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your own eyes.