Recent conferences have offered fresh clinical insights into repeated low-level red-light (RLRL) therapy in myopia management.
At this year’s Asia-Pacific Strabismus and Paediatric Ophthalmology Society (APSPOS) meeting held in Brisbane, RLRL featured prominently.
Professor Mingguang He, founder of the Eyerising International RLRL device, presented an update on the safety evidence underpinning RLRL, including two and three-year interim results focused on long-term safety outcomes (e.g. OCT, ERG).
In a media release, Eyerising International said a lively discussion followed on treatment options for children progressing despite maximum existing myopia management therapies, with Professor Jason Yam from Hong Kong and Dr Loren Rose from Australia sharing their experiences of successfully initiating RLRL in such cases.
In a separate session, Dr Nellie Deen from the Australian College of Optometry presented the first Australian randomised controlled trial data of the Eyerising International RLRL device, demonstrating significant axial length shortening and refractive improvement in a multi-ethnic school-aged cohort, with no adverse events over 12 months.
Prof Yam also chaired a clinician dinner in partnership with Eyerising International, featuring real-world case studies drawn from >200 patients on RLRL and practical tips for identifying patients who may most benefit.
Safety took centre stage at the second International Myopia Society meeting held in Singapore.
Building on Prof He’s overview of RLRL, a panel discussion featuring professors He, Kyoko Ohno-Matsui and Yam explored the question: “How safe is safe enough? Evaluating the role of RLRL in myopia control”.
In the release, Eyerising International said Prof Ohno-Matsui shared results from her pioneering RLRL studies in Japan involving highly myopic children and adults, demonstrating axial shortening, choroidal thickening and, uniquely, evidence of scleral remodelling in some patients potentially alluding to RLRL’s underlying mechanism.
As a retinal specialist, she also addressed safety concerns from the literature, emphasising the importance of careful interpretation of such subtle retinal changes in order to accurately estimate their clinical relevance, as well as her observation of no adverse events reported in >600 patients in Japan.
The session concluded with a rich discussion of the risk-benefit profile of RLRL, particularly for patients unresponsive to other interventions, as well as highlighting future research directions and considerations for real-world use.
Eyerising International said both conferences served as a launch platform for the International Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Council’s international, multicentre randomised controlled trial of RLRL.
With devices supported by Eyerising International, this landmark trial is set to bring together 23 centres worldwide, investigating RLRL’s effect on myopia progression across diverse ethnicities and environments.
The company said that, as evidence continued to accumulate, it was excited to see the Eyerising International RLRL device evolve from an early innovation to an established therapeutic option. This year’s international forums reflect a growing consensus on RLRL’s strong potential to expand the myopia control toolkit, especially for high-risk patients unresponsive to conventional treatments.
More reading
Studies show growing momentum for red-light technology
Repeated low-level red-light therapy: a guide for clinicians (CPD)
Eyerising International addresses ‘limitations’ of red light study suggesting reduced cone density
