Toronto and Oak Ridge Photobiomodulation Study for Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration

Dry AMD is a progressive sight threatening disease affecting central acute vision. Dry AMD may progress to the wet form where leaking and bleeding in the retina can cause sudden severe visual loss.

There are no proven active treatments for Dry AMD. Dry AMD accounts for over 80% of AMD cases.

There are estimated to be 30 million people afflicted with AMD by the year 2020 in North America.

Photobiomodulation in this study is utilised by using two devices that are already approved for other indications by the FDA and Health Canada.

Photobiomodulation is a novel clinical application for treating dry AMD. As this is a pilot study there is no placebo or control group.

Inclusion criteria

• patients of both genders aged 50 years inclusive and over
• patients must have DRY macular degeneration in the study eye
• best corrected visual acuity between 20/40 and 20/200
• patients must be competent to sign and have signed a consent form before study entry

Exclusion criteria

• visually significant cataracts
• presence of a visually significant posterior capsule if prior cataract has been performed
• any visually significant disease process in any ocular structure that would affect vision unrelated to macular degeneration
• a patient can be enrolled if only one of their eyes meets the criteria
• patients with severe clinically significant medical disease or unstable medical conditions including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, neurological, endocrine, gastrointestinal, CNS or life threatening disease or current malignancy at the discretion of the investigators
• patients who are non-ambulatory or bed ridden
• female patients who are pregnant or of childbearing potential as the effects of PBM on the developing fetus are unknown
• patients with a history of epilepsy
• patients with a history of alcohol, drug or substance abuse in the past 6 months
• patients deemed uncooperative or non compliant with the requirements of the protocol
• patients who have received any investigational drug or treatment within 30 days prior to study entry
• patients who are not competent to understand and sign consent form