Photopharmics kickstarts phototherapy trial for Parkinson’s disease
The Celeste phototherapy device uses light to treat symptoms in Parkinson’s patients linked to the circadian system.
US-based equipment manufacturer Photopharmics has announced the initiation of its ‘Celeste light for PD’ clinical trial investigating the Celeste phototherapy device. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved device targets photoreceptors in the eye responsible for circadian signalling. Research has shown that Parkinson’s disease can damage the retina and impact the circadian system leading to symptoms such as trouble sleeping, cognition, depression, and fatigue. The six-month trial will assess the non-invasive device in 300 patients with Parkinson’s, which can be used during usual evening activities. Celeste showed improvements in non-motor symptoms, and in the quality of life for Parkinson’s patients in previous clinical trials, such as the LIGHT-PD trial (NCT04453033) according to PhotoPharmics’s chief scientific officer Dan Adams.
