Laser for retina disease goes to trial

Results of a clinical trial investigating Ellex's non-thermal Retina Regeneration Therapy (2RT), demonstrates the therapy's potential to improve and stabilize visual acuity (VA) and reduce retinal oedema in patients with diabetic maculopathy and macular oedema without causing damage to photoreceptors.

The prospective study, being conducted at King's College, University of London, enrolled 18 patients (29 eyes). All patients received treatments with the Ellex 2RT prototype laser and received follow-up examinations at three, six and 12-months.

At three months, the majority of patients demonstrated improvements in VA and central macular thickness (CMT), as measured by optical coherence tomography. CMT decreased in 55% of eyes and remained stable in 24%. An increase in CMT was seen in just 20% of eyes. Furthermore, micro-perimetry confirmed that there was no damage to photoreceptor cells.

Ellex now plans to conduct trials to determine whether the 2RT has potential as an early stage therapy for retinal diseases.