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Yes, there is something new for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The treatment landscape has shifted in recent years in ways that are meaningful for patients who have long been told there are no options beyond monitoring and supplementation.1
The most significant development is the availability of authorized device-based therapy for improving visual function. Beyond that, a growing body of research is advancing investigational approaches targeting the underlying biology of dry AMD and the evidence base for existing management strategies continues to deepen. Patients who received a dry AMD diagnosis several years ago and have not had a recent conversation with their eye care provider about what is now available may be working from an outdated picture.2
Why Dry AMD Treatment Progress Has Been Slow and Why That Is Changing
For most of the history of AMD treatment, the dry form of the disease received far less therapeutic attention than wet AMD. Wet AMD, which involves rapid vision loss from abnormal blood vessel growth, was transformed by the introduction of anti-VEGF injections in the mid-2000s. Dry AMD, which progresses more slowly and through different mechanisms, proved harder to target.3
Part of the difficulty is biological: dry AMD involves the gradual breakdown of the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors through processes that are still not fully understood. Part is methodological: because dry AMD progresses slowly, clinical trials need to run longer and enroll more patients to detect a meaningful treatment effect. And part is historical: the field’s attention and investment were concentrated on wet AMD, where the clinical problem was more urgent and the therapeutic target clearer.3
That balance has been shifting. As wet AMD became more manageable, attention turned to the larger unmet need in dry AMD. Better understanding of the disease’s biology, improved clinical trial design and regulatory willingness to accept functional endpoints alongside structural ones have together created conditions for real progress.
What Is New and Authorized
The most concrete development for patients today is that authorized device-based therapy for dry AMD is now available. MacuMira is a Health Canada–authorized treatment device indicated to improve visual function in patients with dry AMD. It is noninvasive, delivers low-level electrical stimulation in a supervised clinical setting and is supported by a published randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial as well as real-world use across hundreds of clinics in multiple countries.2
The significance of this for patients is practical. Where the previous standard of care for dry AMD offered monitoring and supplementation to manage risk, there is now an authorized option for patients who want to know whether anything can be done about the vision they have already lost. MacuMira is not appropriate for every patient, is not indicated for wet AMD and requires a clinical assessment to determine eligibility. But it represents a genuine addition to what is available.2
MacuMira is currently available through hundreds of clinics across Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Patients who have not yet heard of it may find that their current eye care provider is not yet offering it, in which case asking for a referral to a clinic that does is a reasonable step.2
What Is in Development But Not Yet Broadly Available?
Beyond what is currently authorized, a range of investigational approaches to dry AMD are in active clinical development. These are not yet available as routine treatments outside clinical trials, but they represent the directions the field is moving in.4
Complement inhibitors are among the more advanced categories. The complement system, part of the body’s immune response, has been implicated in the progression of geographic atrophy, the most advanced stage of dry AMD. Several complement-targeted therapies have been studied in clinical trials, and some have received regulatory authorization in certain markets for specific advanced dry AMD presentations. Their long-term clinical utility is still being established.4
Neuroprotective approaches, which aim to support the survival of retinal cells under stress, are also under investigation. Stem cell-based strategies, which seek to replace lost retinal pigment epithelium cells, remain largely at research and early clinical trial stages. Additional device-based modalities beyond those currently authorized are being evaluated as well.4
None of these investigational approaches should be confused with currently authorized treatments. Patients who read about them online may be seeing results from early-phase trials that are several years away from routine clinical use or coverage of developments in markets other than their own. Distinguishing between what is authorized and available now and what is still investigational is important for setting realistic expectations.
Advances in the Evidence Base for Existing Approaches
“New” does not refer only to new treatments. The evidence base supporting current management approaches has also grown. Real-world data on MacuMira’s safety and effectiveness from tens of thousands of treatments across multiple countries continues to accumulate. The role of AREDS2 supplementation in reducing progression risk is better characterized than it was a decade ago. And the field’s understanding of which patients are most likely to benefit from which interventions is becoming more refined.2
Multi-center trials examining device-based therapy and other approaches are underway, including trials designed to meet the evidentiary standards required for regulatory review in additional markets. This ongoing investment in evidence generation means that the picture of what is available and what works will continue to become clearer over the next few years.2
What This Means for Patients Right Now
Patients who received a dry AMD diagnosis several years ago and were told there was nothing beyond monitoring and supplements may not know that options have changed. The message “there is nothing we can do” was accurate when it was first given to many of them. It is no longer fully accurate today.
This does not mean that every patient with dry AMD has a new treatment waiting for them. Eligibility for device-based therapy depends on individual clinical factors. The investigational treatments in development are not yet available outside of trials. And monitoring, lifestyle modification, and supplementation remain important regardless of what else is in a patient’s care plan.1
What it does mean is that the conversation is worth having again. Patients who have not discussed their options with an eye care provider in the past year or two, or who have a provider who has not mentioned newer developments, should ask the question directly: what is currently available for my stage of dry AMD that was not available before?
What to Ask Your Eye Care Provider
- Have there been any new authorized treatments for dry AMD since I was last assessed?
- Is device-based therapy something I should explore based on my current AMD stage and visual acuity?2
- Are there any clinical trials relevant to my situation that I should know about?
- Has the evidence on AREDS2 supplementation changed in a way that affects my current regimen?1
- Are there providers or clinics specializing in newer dry AMD management approaches that I should see?
- How often should we review my treatment plan to make sure it reflects what is currently available?
Key Takeaway
Yes, there is something new for dry AMD. Approved device-based therapy to improve visual function is now available for eligible patients, representing a meaningful shift from the historical message that monitoring and supplements were the only options. Investigational approaches targeting the underlying biology of dry AMD are in active development. Patients whose understanding of their options dates back several years should ask their eye care provider for an updated discussion of what is currently available and whether any of it applies to their situation.
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Patients should speak with a qualified eye care professional to determine which treatment options are appropriate for their specific condition. References to investigational treatments describe research in progress and should not be interpreted as endorsements or as indications of clinical availability.
Glossary
Dry AMD (dry age-related macular degeneration): A progressive retinal condition in which the macula gradually deteriorates, causing central vision loss. The most common form of AMD. Multiple management and treatment options are now available for appropriate patients.
MacuMira: A Health Canada–authorized treatment device indicated to improve visual function in patients with dry AMD through noninvasive, low-level electrical stimulation. For use under the supervision of an eye care professional. Not indicated for wet AMD.
Geographic atrophy: An advanced stage of dry AMD in which retinal pigment epithelium cells and photoreceptors break down, causing permanent central vision loss. The endpoint most commonly measured in dry AMD progression trials.
Complement system: A part of the immune system that has been implicated in the progression of geographic atrophy in dry AMD. Several investigational therapies target complement pathways to slow geographic atrophy growth.
Complement inhibitor: A drug or biological agent that blocks components of the complement pathway. Several have been studied in clinical trials for geographic atrophy, and some have received authorization in certain markets.
Anti-VEGF therapy: Injections used to treat wet AMD by blocking abnormal blood vessel growth beneath the retina. Not a treatment for dry AMD.
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE): A layer of cells beneath the photoreceptors of the retina. RPE breakdown is a key feature of dry AMD progression and geographic atrophy.
Investigational treatment: A therapy being studied in clinical trials but not yet authorized for routine clinical use. Distinct from authorized treatments currently available to patients.
AREDS2 formula: A nutritional supplement combination shown in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 to reduce progression risk in eligible patients with intermediate or advanced dry AMD.
References
1. Age-Related Macular Degeneration. National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. Last reviewed November 2023. Accessed June 2026. https://www.nei.nih.gov/eye-health-information/eye-conditions-and-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration.
2. Evaluation of visual acuity in dry AMD patients after microcurrent electrical stimulation. Parkinson KM, Sayre EC, Tobe SW. International Journal of Retina and Vitreous. Published May 2023. Accessed June 2026. https://macumira.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/MacuMira-Clinical-Trial.pdf.
3. Understanding Macular Degeneration. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published November 2025. Accessed June 2026. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration.
4. Macular Degeneration Treatment. BrightFocus Foundation. Date not listed. Accessed June 2026. https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/macular-degeneration-treatments/.
5. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Date not listed. Accessed June 2026. https://www.seethepossibilities.ca/eye-health/age-related-macular-degeneration/.
