Daily disposable will be launched at Optrafair

Sauflon will launch its opticians-only daily disposable NewDay contact lens at Optrafair (April 16).

NewDay has been designed and manufactured in the UK by Sauflon at the company's Hampshire manufacturing plant (News, March 25).
The business claimed the lens would be the only aspheric daily disposable on the market, employing unique design features such as
Sauflon's patented Advanced Edge Technology (AET) process.

'NewDay has a wide power range and a number of other benefits which will be unveiled at Optrafair,' said Bradley Wells, UK sales director.

He added that NewDay would be available from Monday April 18, though practitioners visiting the Sauflon stand (N25) would benefit from special launch offers only available at the show.

Wells said of the opticians-only policy: 'Sauflon has always maintained that as the contact lens and aftercare business is generated by the optical profession, it should remain with the optical profession. NewDay daily disposables hold firm to Sauflon's optician-only policy and will therefore not be available anywhere other than through eye care professionals.' 

Sauflon claimed that independent clinical trials showed patients preferred NewDay when comparing comfort, vision and handling with other daily disposables.  The packaging also received highly favourable scores. Sauflon is using a black background, something it said would further differentiate its product from other brands.

'NewDay contact lenses demonstrate both clinical and commercial advantages for the practitioner,' Wells said.

Daily disposables now account for 55 per cent of the UK contact lens market, he said. 'We have recently carried out a survey on retention rates for opticians with daily disposable lenses and can conclude that for every 10 new fits seven drop out or buy lenses elsewhere.

'So, in effect for every £1,000 of business generated, the practitioner is losing £700 when using brands that are widely available elsewhere.

NewDay will most certainly improve this situation as the optician will retain the aftersales.'