A device that shines light into the eyes can improve the vision of people with one of the major forms of vision loss, known as age-related macular degeneration (AMR), The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided Monday (November 4).

AMR gradually damages the center of the retina, the light-sensing region at the back of the eye. Recent data suggests that this condition affects approximately 19.8 million Americans 40 years and over. The disease presents in two forms – dry AMR and wet AMR – the former being more common, constituting about 70% to 90% of cases. Despite its commonalities, there was no effective treatment for dry AMR.