PBM therapy meets eye care giant muscle in Alcon’s latest AMD acquisition.
Alcon (Geneva, Switzerland) is turning up the brightness on its ophthalmic strategy with plans to acquire LumiThera, Inc. (Washington, USA) and its photobiomodulation (PBM) device for early and intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The move signals Alcon’s growing ambitions to move beyond the OR and into the clinic.
Alcon announces the news on its LinkedIn page.
“For more than 25 years, Alcon has been a leader in vitreoretinal surgery, and we are excited to expand our offerings into the clinic to help millions of people living with dry AMD gain vision,” said Sean Clark, vice president and general manager of Alcon’s Global Surgical Franchise, in a news release. “Dry AMD is an area of significant unmet need, and PBM is an efficacious, non-invasive light therapy that can provide visual improvement for patients with early and intermediate disease.”
Light-based innovation with a clinical glow-up
At the center of the deal is LumiThera’s Valeda Light Delivery System, the company’s PBM technology that uses three specific wavelengths to deliver non-phototoxic light. The goal? Stimulate mitochondrial activity and boost retinal cellular health…without surgery or injections.
According to LumiThera, Valeda is the first and only device to show sustained visual improvement over two years of treatment in early to intermediate dry AMD. Results from the LIGHTSITE III study showed PBM-treated patients gained an average of one line of visual acuity at 13 and 21 months, with the benefit maintained at 24 months. Importantly, no treatment-related serious adverse events were reported.
LumiThera video on Valeda, the first FDA authorized treatment to improve vision in dry Age Related Macular Degeneration. Mayo Retina is the first to treat patients commercially in California. Learn more at https://t.co/cpdHc6AWfL pic.twitter.com/tNxmGuM2ko
— George L Mayo, MD, FASRS, FACS (@George_L_MayoMD) March 29, 2025
Clark Tedford presents LIGHTSIGHT trial results at ARVO 2024, courtesy of the Macular Degeneration Foundation.
“At LumiThera, we have been committed to developing novel light therapy technologies that address dry AMD,” said Clark Tedford, president and CEO of LumiThera. “Our PBM device provides a non-invasive treatment for dry AMD patients that can improve vision and address the disease earlier, before permanent vision loss.”
READ MORE: FDA Approves Lumithera’s Photobiomodulation Device for Dry AMD
Regulatory and market outlook
Valeda received a de novo market authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2024 and has held a European Conformity (CE) Mark since November 2018. It’s currently available in Europe, Latin America, Singapore, the UK and the US.
The deal does not include LumiThera’s diagnostic assets (AdaptDx and Nova/Diopsys), which will be separated and spun off to shareholders prior to the acquisition. Pending customary closing conditions and shareholder approval, the acquisition is expected to wrap by the third quarter of 2025.
Alcon’s acquisition hot streak
LumiThera is the latest addition in a string of acquisitions underscoring Alcon’s diversified approach to eye care innovation.
In recent months, Alcon acquired LENSAR, Inc. (Florida, USA), bringing the ALLY Robotic Cataract Laser System and Streamline software into its portfolio in a $356 million deal (plus up to $2.75 per share in contingent value rights, tied to procedural volumes by 2027).
READ MORE: Alcon to Acquire LENSAR for $356M, Expanding Its Cataract Laser Portfolio
The company also picked up a majority stake in Aurion Biotech (Washington, USA), which is advancing cell therapy for corneal endothelial diseases. Aurion’s lead product, AURN001, is in clinical development and holds FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation.
READ MORE: Alcon Acquires Majority Stake in Aurion Biotech
And in July 2024, Alcon finalized its acquisition of BELKIN Vision (Yavne, Israel), gaining Direct Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (DSLT) tech for glaucoma in a deal worth up to $466 million.
READ MORE: Alcon’s Belkin Acquisition and the Age of Interventional Glaucoma
With LumiThera now in its sights, Alcon continues to flex its muscles across the ophthalmic spectrum: from surgery and diagnostics to in-clinic therapeutics. The company isn’t just doubling down on innovation, it’s casting a wide net across the continuum of care. And with light therapy in the mix, Alcon may just help dry AMD patients see a brighter future.
Editor’s Note: This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.