Three-Year Study Indicates Pioneering Contact Lens Therapy Effective in Slowing Myopia Progression in Children by 59%

LIVERPOOL, England, June 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A pioneering contact lens therapy has considerable potential to impact the rising prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) in children, according to highly-anticipated study outcomes presented today at the British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference in Liverpool, England.

In a featured podium session, CooperVision Senior Manager of Clinical Research Paul Chamberlain reviewed three-year results from the clinical trial assessing a specially-designed, dual-focus myopia control 1-day soft contact lens in reducing the rate of progression of juvenile-onset myopia. The prospective, multi-center, double-masked, randomized multi-year study enrolled 144 myopic children aged 8-12 years from Singapore, Canada, England, and Portugal.

Three-year findings indicated that use of the dual-focus contact lens — which has alternating visual correction and treatment zones — was effective in slowing myopia progression: 59% as measured by mean cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) and 52% as measured by mean axial elongation of the eye when compared to the children in the control group wearing a single vision 1-day contact lens.

No other prospective randomized controlled study has offered conclusive data for such a high degree of continued efficacy in myopia management using a 1-day soft contact lens over three years. The contact lens-based approach does not induce common side effects exhibited by some alternative pharmacological therapies.

The prevalence of myopia is projected to increase from approximately two billion people worldwide in 2010 to almost five billion people in 2050¹, bringing with it near- and long-term health challenges.

"Myopia's growth has been dizzying, and now affects the vast majority of young adults in some countries, especially in East Asia," said Arthur Back, Chief Technology Officer for CooperVision and a leading voice on myopia management. "Not only does it create blurred vision, but also increases the likelihood of conditions later in life such as glaucoma, cataract, retinal detachment and myopic maculopathy if not addressed.

"Early intervention by parents, in partnership with eye care professionals, is essential the near- and long-term health and well-being of their children. The CooperVision MiSight^® dual-focus 1-day lens used in this study provides a new, effective and repeatable approach."

Ensuring that children wear and are happy with the lens is of critical importance to the therapy's effectiveness. Three-year results indicated the dual focus lens was well accepted by children, and did not affect their daily activities such as school work, reading, playing outside, and computer use when compared to the control group². Children in both the test and control groups had a higher satisfaction with contact lenses over spectacles.

Parents of study participants also had a very positive response, noting their children could mostly manage their lens wear independently. Prior to dispensing contact lenses, less than half of the parents were extremely at ease with their child wearing contact lenses, but this increased significantly to 79% after just one month and remained high through the three-year mark. After their children had worn MiSight^® 1 day contact lenses for three years, almost 9 out of 10 parents rated their children 'extremely happy' with the overall experience of wearing contact lenses³.

¹ Holden et al, Ophthalmology 2016.
² From one-week through three-year visits.
³ Children ages 8-15.

About CooperVision
CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE: COO), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full array of monthly, two-week and daily disposable contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism and presbyopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

About The Cooper Companies
The Cooper Companies, Inc. ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE: COO). Cooper is dedicated to being A Quality of Life Company™ with a focus on delivering shareholder value. Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on women's health, fertility and diagnostics. Headquartered in Pleasanton, CA, Cooper has more than 10,000 employees with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com

Media Contacts:

Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA
McDougall Communications for CooperVision, Inc.
mike@mcdougallpr.com or 585-434-2150

Heather Kowalczyk, APR
McDougall Communications for CooperVision, Inc.
heather@mcdougallpr.com or 585-434-2148

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SOURCE CooperVision, Inc.