Retina Regeneration Therapy effective in ME

Ellex 2RT, a Retina Regeneration Therapy, is safe and effective in the treatment of macular oedema (ME) secondary to diabetic retinopathy (DR), according to study results presented at this year's American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. Ellex 2RT uses a green YAG laser to target the retinal pigment epithelium with 532 nm light energy, delivered in three-nanosecond pulses.

Professor John Marshall, PhD, FRCPath, FRCOphth (Hons), of St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK, and colleagues treated the newly-diagnosed diabetic maculopathy of 23 patients (eyes, n=38) with Ellex 2RT to modify the macular grid pattern. Of the patients enrolled in the trial, 17 eyes (n=28) completed the six-month follow-up period.

At the six-month follow-up visit, central macular thickness had decreased by ≥5% from baseline in 46% of patients; it remained stable in 39% of patients and increased by ≥5% in the remaining 15%. Hard exudates were decreased in >50% of treated eyes. An improvement of ≥2 lines of LogMar visual acuity was observed in 43% of eyes; of 1–2 lines, in 28%. Visual acuity remained stable in 15% of eyes and decreased in 14%.

The device's manufacturers, Ellex, now plans to investigate the role of Ellex 2RT as a therapeutic in other indications, including age-related macular degeneration and central serous retinopathy.