(PRESS RELEASE) JACKSONVILLE, FL — Johnson & Johnson Vision, a global leader in eye health and part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, received approval from Health Canada for ACUVUE Abiliti 1-Day Soft Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management. Abiliti 1-Day lenses are a new option of daily wear, single-use, disposable lenses that have the potential to slow the progression of myopia and are specifically designed for children who are 7 to 12 years old at the start of treatment.
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“The approval from Health Canada for ACUVUE Abiliti 1-Day lenses marks another major step forward in our collaborative efforts with parents and eye care professionals to reshape the future of myopia,” said Xiao-Yu Song, MD, PhD, Global Head of Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson Vision. “Our researchers and scientists specifically designed Abiliti 1-Day to be a novel soft therapeutic lens with the potential to slow the progression of myopia in children.”
Abiliti 1-Day lenses are not traditional concentric ring presbyopic design lenses. Abiliti 1-Day lenses are a breakthrough innovation specifically designed to slow myopia progression in children and have been shown to reduce axial elongation by 0.105mm on average over a 6-month period. The lenses are built from silicone hydrogel (senofilcon A) lens material, the same material as ACUVUE OASYS 1-Day contact lenses, which have never been beaten in comfort.
The Health Canada approval for Abiliti 1-Day lenses marks another significant milestone for the Abiliti brand and Johnson & Johnson Vision. The company continues to lead with science and expand the portfolio of products and services for myopia management in children. Abiliti will provide parents and eye care professionals with a robust and comprehensive set of products for myopia management. Earlier this year, the company also introduced ACUVUE Abiliti Overnight Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management in the U.S. Abiliti Overnight lenses are specifically designed and fitted to match a patient’s eye based on its unique corneal shape to temporarily reshape the cornea.
The company also announced that each annual purchase of an Abiliti product would provide a free comprehensive eye health exam to a child in need through Sight For Kids – a joint program from Johnson & Johnson Vision and the not-for-profit Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF). Sight For Kids is one of the largest-known, school-based eye health programs that mobilizes Lions and eye care professionals to provide comprehensive eye health services in low-income schools around the world.
Myopia is sometimes called ‘nearsightedness,’ but it is much more. It is a chronic and progressive disease that poses the biggest eye health threat of the 21st Century. Half of the world’s population is projected to be myopic by 2050 with nearly one billion people expected to have high myopia. Children under 12 who are diagnosed with myopia are at greater risk of developing high myopia which may lead to sight threatening disease later in life.
Abiliti 1-Day lenses are expected to be available in select areas of Canada starting as early as this year and expanding beyond in 2022. Parents and eye care professionals who want more information can visit www.seeyourabiliti.com.