Charenton-le-Pont, 5 October 2020 – Essilor, the world’s leading ophthalmic optics company, recently launched Stellest™ lens, a new generation of spectacle lens solutions in the fight against myopia. Interim findings of an ongoing clinical trial show more than 60% slowdown in myopia progression on average, when compared to children wearing single vision lenses.
Myopia today represents a global health crisis, with five billion people expected to be myopic by 2050. It can progress rapidly in children, and may lead to sight-threatening eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment and macular degeneration later in life. When detected early, myopia control solutions can help in slowing down its progression in children, reducing such risks and ensuring a better life quality.
Myopia has been steadily increasing worldwide, in particular in China, with 54% prevalence in children aged 6-18 years and 81% prevalence in individuals aged 18 years and older1. In line with its mission of improving lives by improving sight and its commitment to focus resources where they are most needed, Essilor launched Stellest™ lens in the Wenzhou Medical University Eye Hospital in China in July 2020. This will be followed by a broader roll-out across other hospitals and top stores of selected chains in China, and progressively by several other countries.
Together with its key partner, the Wenzhou Medical University, Essilor launched in 2018 a three-year clinical trial on 167 myopic children2 in their joint Research and Development Center in China. The one-year results already demonstrate strong evidence of the Stellest™ lens’ effectiveness in slowing down myopia progression, positioning it as Essilor’s best solution to fight myopia progression in children. Indeed, after one year, children wearing Stellest™ lenses saved more than half a diopter of myopia degree on average, corresponding to a more than 60% slow-down in myopia progression on average, when compared to the control group wearing single vision lenses. Equally, over the same period, eye elongation3 was prevented in 28% of the children wearing Stellest™ lenses, while it occurred in all the children wearing single vision lenses.
Norbert Gorny, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Essilor International, commented: “The interim results of the study are impressive, confirming the positive impact of the Stellest™ lens on myopia in children, and making us fully confident that it will establish itself as one of the most effective myopia control spectacle lens in the world. Feedback from eye care professionals about the Stellest™ lens is extremely positive as they welcome a new solution that can change millions of children’s lives. It is a game changer and marks a new era of innovation in the fight against the myopia epidemic. This lens is testament to one of the many ways in which Essilor continues to push the boundaries with innovation and technology, in line with our mission of improving lives by improving sight.
The Stellest™ lens has been designed by Essilor’s industry-leading research and development teams with an exclusive, pioneering technology called “H.A.L.T.” (Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target). It is the
result of more than 30 years of academic studies, product design, rigorous research efforts, and collaborating with the top research institutes and myopia experts.
[1] Source: McKinsey research; China National Health Commission 2018 survey.
[1] The children in the study were between 8 and 13 years old and were divided into a treatment group equipped with Stellest™ lenses and a control group with single vision lenses.
[1] Myopia is children is caused by an extra eye growth which engenders blurred far vision
About EssilorEssilor International is the world’s leading ophthalmic optics company. Essilor designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of lenses to improve and protect eyesight. Its mission is to improve lives by improving sight. To support this mission, Essilor allocates more than €200 million to research and innovation every year, in a commitment to continuously bring new, more effective products to market. Its flagship brands are Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, Eyezen™, Xperio®, Foster Grant®, and Bolon™. It also develops and markets equipment, instruments and services for eyecare professionals. Essilor International is a subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica. The EssilorLuxottica share trades on the Euronext Paris market and is included in the Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 indices. Codes and symbols: ISIN: FR0000121667; Reuters: ESLX.PA; Bloomberg: EL:FP. For more information, please visit www.essilor.com
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