A new lens developed by Essilor designed to slow the progression of myopia in children has been heralded as a ‘game changer’ following a year-long clinical trial.
Essilor said the Stellest ophthalmic lens could slow down myopia progression by 60% on average when compared to children wearing single vision lenses.
The company said the results presented strong evidence of its lenses’ effectiveness and promise to become a solution to myopia progression.
A total of 167 myopic children aged between eight and 13 years old were involved in a one-year interim clinical trial and were divided into a treatment group who wore the Stellest lens and a control group with single vision lenses.
The study found that after one year, children wearing Stellest lenses saved more than half a dioptre of myopia degree on average, which represented more than a 60% slow-down in myopia progression when compared to the control group.
It also revealed that eye elongation was prevented in 28% of the children wearing the lenses, while elongation occurred in all children wearing single vision lenses.
All of the children had clear vision when wearing Stellest, adapted to them within a week and said they were as satisfied with their quality of vision as the control group.
Norbert Gorny, co-chief operating officer at Essilor International, said: ‘The interim results are impressive, confirming the positive impact of this solution on myopic children and making us fully confident that the Stellest lens will be one of the most effective myopia control spectacle lenses in the world.
‘This lens will mark a new era of innovation in this field and is testament to one of the many ways in which Essilor continues to push the boundaries with innovation and technology, to tackle the myopia epidemic.’
Halting prevalence
Essilor highlighted that myopia is a global health crisis and half of the world’s population is expected to be myopic by 2050.
The lens company cited China as a particular example of increasing myopia rates worldwide, with 54% prevalence in children aged six to 18 and 81% in children aged 18 years old.
The Stellest lens was launched in the Wenzhou Medical University Eye Hospital, China in July and a rollout to other hospitals in China will be continued and followed by its introduction in other countries.
The ongoing three-year clinical trial started in 2018 in Essilor’s joint research and development centre in partnership with Wenzhou Medical University.
Essilor said Stellest was its best solution to fight myopia progression in children, in an aesthetic, efficient, safe, simple and easy to prescribe solution.
The lenses have been designed with Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target (Halt) technology and was the result of over 30 years of academic studies, product design and collaboration with myopia experts.
Essilor explained that Stellest provided myopia correction and sharp far vision through a single vision zone and myopia control. Halt consisted of a constellation of aspherical lenslets spread on 11 rings and was designed to create a volume of signal that slows elongation of the eye. The power of each ring has been determined to guarantee a volume of signal was always in the front of the retina and following its shape, it said.
Grita Loebsack, group chief marketing officer at Essilor International said: ‘We are excited to start offering this new solution to help children who continue to be at risk of vision-threatening complications due to high myopia.
‘The Stellest lens has already received extremely positive response from eye care professionals. This reaffirms our leadership in the myopia management category and brings us closer to achieving our vision of reducing the impact of high myopia and ensuring a brighter future for our children.’
Findings of Essilor’s study were presented during the World Society of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus’ (WSPOS) Worldwide Connect virtual congress.
Ken Nischal, WSPOS co-founder, said: ‘Given the increasing prevalence of myopia and its related complications, tackling this issue will require a multidisciplinary approach with new innovations and developments in education and clinical care.’