MeniconTinue: the first contact lens approved for up to 30 days of continuous wear in Japan

Menicon Co., Ltd., the world's largest GP manufacturer, received Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approval for up to 30 days of continuous wear of its MeniconTinue GP contact lens, effective as of 25 October 2006.

MeniconTinue contact lenses are manufactured in tisilfocon A material, which is commercially known as Menicon Z outside Japan. Tisilfocon A has the highest oxygen permeability of all commercially available GP contact lens materials (163 Dk following ISO 9913-1).

This is the first time in the history of Japan that approval for up to 30 days of continuous wear of contact lenses has been granted for normal eyes, whereas such approval has already been widely given to other contact lenses in the USA and Europe.

Menicon obtained CE marking and FDA approval for up to 30 days of continuous wear for its Menicon Z lenses in January 2001 and July 2002, respectively. With this new approval, Menicon intends to launch this product as Japan's first ever 30 days continuous wear contact lens early next year.