Essilor Luxottica's Myopia-Slowing Eyeglasses Get FDA Approval

The FDA has approved Essilor Luxottica's Essilor Stellest lenses, the first eyeglasses authorized to slow myopia progression in children, according to a recent report in Medtech Magazine. These lenses, developed by Essilor Luxottica, incorporate innovative lens technology and are designed for children aged 6 to 12, including those with astigmatism. Essilor Stellest lenses utilize concentric micro-lenses to precisely manage light focus, prompting the eye to decelerate its growth and thus directly address myopia development. Essilor Luxottica CEO Francesco Milleri and Vice CEO Paul du Saillant jointly hailed the lens as "one of the most anticipated vision care innovations of the last decade." Clinical trials demonstrated a 71 percent average reduction in myopia progression over a two-year period. The company anticipates a U.S. launch of the prescription glasses in the near future. Although these are the first eyeglasses to receive FDA approval for slowing myopia, the agency has previously approved alternative treatments, including CooperVision's MiSight contact lenses and Johnson & Johnson's Acuvue Abiliti night lenses. SightGlass Vision, a collaboration between Cooper Companies and Essilor Luxottica, obtained CE marking in Europe in 2020 for comparable eyeglass technology utilizing Diffusion Optics Technology. This approval for Stellest coincides with projections indicating that myopia will affect half the world's population by 2050. It underscores the critical importance of managing this condition to mitigate potential health complications. Essilor Luxottica, which also owns Ray-Ban and Oakley, recently secured FDA approval and CE certification for its Nuance Audio hearing glasses, further expanding its portfolio of innovative vision and hearing solutions.