(PRESS RELEASE) SAN RAMON, CA — CooperVision announced that its innovative MiSigh 1 day contact lens has been awarded a 2020 Popular Science “Best of What’s New Award” in the health category. The cornerstone of CooperVision’s Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program, this daily wear, single use contact lens is the first and only FDA-approved* product to slow the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) when initially prescribed for children 8-12 years old.[1]
The Popular Science “Best of What’s New Awards” recognize up to 100 of the most innovative technologies from the past year across 10 categories, such as health, home, aerospace and security. Each product or technology must represent a significant step forward in its category. Past award winners have included the first portable defibrillator (1997), NASA’s New Horizons Voyage to Pluto (2015), the first FDA-approved gene therapy (2017) and 5G cellular (2019).
“Two out of every five Americans have myopia,[2] a disease that both impairs distance vision and increases the risk of sight-threatening conditions later in life,”[3] explained Jerry Warner, executive vice president, Americas and Global Commercial Functions for CooperVision. “The introduction of MiSight 1 day contact lenses in the U.S. has meant that age-appropriate children, for the first time, have access to an approved solution that can help them reduce the severity of myopia progression and enjoy brilliant futures. We are honored that Popular Science has recognized the impact of this technology.”
This recognition comes as new data emerges from CooperVision’s landmark clinical study revealing that nearly one in four children’s eyes originally fit with MiSight 1 day remain stable in their myopia level after six years.[4] The study previously established the lens to be effective in slowing myopia progression in age-appropriate children by an average of 59% over a three-year period, as measured by spherical refraction.⒂1
“The Best of What’s New Awards showcase the year’s greatest feats of human ingenuity,” says Popular Science Editor-in-Chief Corinne Iozzio. “Even in a year like 2020, innovation has helped us glimpse a future that’s safer, smarter, and more enjoyable than we might have thought possible.”
More than 2,000 U.S. eye care professionals (ECPs) are now certified and able to prescribe CooperVision’s Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program—a figure growing by the day. The widespread reach and prominence of the Popular Science “Best of What’s New Awards” will likely drive even more parents to seek information about participating ECPs.
CooperVision’s Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program seeks to elevate the standard of care for age appropriate children by shifting the focus from refractive correction for myopia to interventions that also slow axial length progression. The program accomplishes this by creating the optimal environment for compliance, satisfaction, clinical outcomes and long-term loyalty. ECPs who are interested in beginning certification can learn more here.