Menicon Announces Global Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Vision to Bring Forward Therapeutic Contact Lens Related Products and Services to Manage the Progression of Myopia in Children
Nagoya, Japan – [April 7, 2021] – Menicon, a leading manufacturer of innovative contact lenses and related products, today announced a global strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Vision*, a global leader in eye health. Following the 2019 launch of the Menicon Bloom Myopia Control Management System in Europe, this collaboration will further strengthen Menicon’s commitment to help society combat the rising Myopia epidemic.
Myopia, or nearsightedness, has traditionally been viewed as an ocular inconvenience, once associated with scholars and those who pursued a predominantly indoor and education driven path. Myopia treatment has typically involved usage of optical devices such as spectacles or contact lenses and its purpose, simply to correct the patient’s vision. Modern myopia, however is an aggressively evolving disease and is projected to affect half the world’s population over the coming three decades. The most vulnerable to this disease in our society are children in which myopia progression is impacting their prospective visual and health outcomes due to increased risks of sight-threatening ocular pathologies, such as retinal detachments.
“Epidemiological evidence from all around the globe continues to show the remarkable increase in the percentage of children and young adults developing myopia, and the earlier age at which myopia starts,” said Professor Lyndon Jones, DSc, PhD, FCOptom. “This global epidemic comes with substantial risks of vision loss later in life and continued education on the importance of early intervention to manage the progression of myopia and the development of novel methods to reduce it have never been more important.”
As part of the collaboration, Johnson & Johnson Vision will focus on expanding availability of the lenses around the world . Menicon will develop and manufacture the therapeutic contact lenses to manage the progression of myopia in children while continuing to support its current and new customers.
“Menicon has a long history of safety and innovation in the contact lens field and we continue to explore and invest in new ways to positively impact our patients’ lives” said Dr. Hidenari Tanaka, President, Menicon Co. Ltd. “Our partnership with Johnson & Johnson is a wonderful opportunity to expand and realize our potential to effectively address the progression of myopia in children worldwide. A strategic collaboration such as this will be beneficial, particularly with an incredible company that shares our vision for the future, our high standards for safety and our common core values.”
For eye care providers who want to learn more about products and services from Menicon to help manage the progression of myopia, please visit us at:
https://www.menicon.com/corporate/news/view/49
https://www.menicon.com/corporate/news/view/4
About Menicon Co. Ltd.
Menicon Co., Ltd. (7780: Tokyo), founded by Mr. Kyoichi Tanaka in 1951, is Japan’s first and largest contact lens manufacturer, and now is represented in over 80 countries. Menicon is a manufacturer dedicated to all areas of soft and gas permeable contact lens-related businesses including manufacturing, sales, export and import of contact lenses and other medical goods; manufacturing and sales of medical instruments; sales of medical supplies; and research and development of intraocular lenses.
For more information, please visit us: www.menicon.com.
*Johnson & Johnson Vision represents the products and services of Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., and the affiliates of both.