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September 9, 2021September 9, 2021

Johnson & Johnson Vision Receives Approval in Canada for ACUVUE® Abiliti™ 1-Day Soft Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management

Johnson & Johnson Vision 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.

Abiliti lnses are specifically designed for children who are 7 to 12 years old at the start of treatment.

“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.”

Novel Design
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.

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.

The new lenses add to the company’s Myopia Management portfolio. 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.

Product is bundled with free eye exam
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.

Abiliti™ 1-Day lenses are expected to become available in select areas of Canada starting as early as this year and expanding further in 2022.

Eye care professionals who want more information can visit www.seeyourabiliti.com.

Click HERE for the full press release.

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021

The Optical Group Sold to New Look Vision

Ontario-based buying group, representing independent eye care professionals across Canada, has been sold to the New Look Vision Group.

In a statement to Optik, Ruth Priebe, Director of Operations of The Optical Group (TOG)indicated that the new partnership with New Look VIsion will broaden TOG’s product, service and financial base. The entire TOG team will remain in place and operate independently within the new parent group.

“The dedicated and talented team supporting our members, vendors and partners remains in Whitby (ON). We will now have a greater access to resources, technologies, and products to continue driving value and promote development”, said Priebe.

The Optical Group (TOG) has been a long-standing Canadian buying group consisting mostly of independent Opticals and Optometric practices. The group was started in 1988 by Grant Osborne.

TOG was sold in 2006 to Emerging Vision, a USA based organization with interests in the optical market, including optical retailers Site for Sore Eyes and Sterling Vision.

This transaction repatriates the group to Canada.

TOG offers consolidated billing and group purchasing, supplier discounts and private label products to its national member network of nearly 600 member practices across the country.

Earlier this year, New Look Vision’s publicly traded shares were purchased by a group composed of funds managed by FFL Partners, LLC, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec or one of its affiliates (“CDPQ”), and the Dr. H. Doug Barnes Family.

As a result of this transaction, shares of New Look were removed from the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE). More Information.

Click HERE for The Optical Group statement.

September 9, 2021September 8, 2021

Optometry Reference Guide Creates New Category for Alcon’s Permanent Water Surface Lenses

Alcon announced that Tyler’s Quarterly created a distinct category for Permanent Water Surface contact lenses that puts Alcon’s lenses with proprietary water surface technology in a class of their own. This new category debuts in the September 2021 issue of Tyler’s Quarterly alongside the launch of TOTAL30^® contact lenses, the monthly replacement Water Gradient lenses. In addition to TOTAL30, daily disposable lenses DAILIES TOTAL1^® and PRECISION1^® will round out the Permanent Water Surface lenses category.

“Eye care professionals have been relying on Tyler’s Quarterly for over 30 years to stay up to date on the latest in the contact lens market. We are pleased that Alcon’s efforts to push contact lens innovation with water surface technologies have been recognized,” said Sean Clark, General Manager, U.S. Vision Care, Alcon. “With the launch of TOTAL30 lenses, eye care professionals are now able to offer a wider range of lenses with cutting-edge technology.”

With Alcon’s Permanent Water Surface lenses, water surface technologies are permanently anchored to the lenses, featuring water-loving polymers that attract water to provide a cushion of moisture for the wearer.

Click HERE for the full press release.

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021

New Look Vision Group Partners with Black Optical

New Look Vision Group announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Black Optical. Founded in 2007 by Gary Black, the business is a leading player in the luxury optical segment of the eyewear market in the United States. Black Optical operates three luxury optical stores located in Dallas, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Gary Black will remain a shareholder in the company and will lead efforts to expand Black Optical’s footprint and presence in the industry.

Antoine Amiel, President and CEO of New Look Vision Group stated that: “New Look Vision Group entered the United States market in March 2020 with the acquisition of the Edward Beiner Group. I am delighted to take a further strategic step in the form of a partnership with Gary Black. Our development model is based on finding leaders and teams to join with, to run and develop their business. Gary Black and his team are renowned for excellence and vision.”

Gary Black, the founder of Black Optical stated that: “It is an honor to partner with an industry-leader like New Look Vision Group and Antoine Amiel to expand Black Optical’s footprint in eyecare, client service and fashion. We share common goals to bring the best quality, style, aesthetics and service to the industry, which will make this a successful partnership with unlimited potential. This partnership is a game-changer and we are ready to hit the ground running.”

New Look Vision Group has a network of close to 450 locations operating mainly under the Iris, New Look Eyewear, Vogue Optical, Greiche & Scaff and Edward Beiner banners and a laboratory facility using state-of-the-art technologies.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Optogenetics Restores Some Vision in Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa Patient

Scientists have reported that a patient achieved partial recovery of sight in a Phase I/II optogenetics therapy clinical trial. The study sponsored by GenSight Biologics, was published in the journal Nature Medicine.

In advanced retinal degeneration, photoreceptors die so that an individual can no longer sense light signals or make out shapes of images. Scientists are studying if they can turn other surviving retinal cells, such as retinal ganglion cells (RGC) into light sensors using a technique called optogenetics.

In optogenetics a gene that produces a light sensitive protein, such as RGCs, is added to retinal cells. When a specific wavelength of light activates the cell, the light sensitive protein changes shape and turns the cell on or off.

The treatment in this study (called GS030) uses gene therapy to introduce a gene for an algae protein called opsin into RGCs. The patient then wears image-capturing goggles that amplify light signals and turns them into amber light wavelengths which activate the algae opsin.

This study presents results from a 58-year-old French man who before treatment could sense light but not distinguish shapes. Within a few months of treatment, he was able to see the white stripes at a pedestrian crossing and find objects on a table. The visual gains were modest as he isn’t able to see colours or distinguish faces or letters. Nevertheless, this is a big step for the field of optogenetics, and it offers hope that these techniques may be a viable treatment option for individuals with advanced retinal degeneration.

This study only reported on a single patient. The full trial will have up to 15 participants. It will be important to see if safety and efficacy are seen in a larger number of individuals with more results in the coming years.