CooperVision today announced that its groundbreaking initiative that bridges myopia management access disparities among under-resourced children in the U.S. is underway. The program, now officially named “Generation Sight,” signifies a transformative commitment to enhancing the vision health of both children and their communities. The first children in Boston and Chicago have been successfully enrolled and are currently undergoing treatment, marking a milestone in the initial stages of the program’s implementation.
“These developments emphasize CooperVision’s dedication to swift implementation, helping under-resourced kids attain myopia care that might otherwise be inaccessible to them,” said Michele Andrews, OD, Vice President, Professional & Government Affairs, Americas, CooperVision. “I’d like to especially thank our academic partners, who have embraced every aspect of our unique partnership. They are equally committed to moving rapidly in support of their communities by protecting children’s eye health.”
The initial phase of Generation Sight includes the New England College of Optometry and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in metropolitan Boston and central Massachusetts, and the Illinois College of Optometry in the greater Chicago area. In conjunction with CooperVision, school faculty, residents, and students identify and treat children in need, as well as engage other multidisciplinary partners.
The program offers MiSight® 1 day soft contact lenses and Paragon CRT® orthokeratology† contact lenses at no cost for as long as participating children require treatment for their myopia. MiSight® 1 day myopia control soft contact lenses are the first and only FDA* approved product proven to slow myopia progression in children, aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment.‡2 Paragon CRT® provides daytime reduction of myopia, using the ortho-k contact lenses to correct vision overnight.§
Evaluations will be carried out throughout the year to assess the initiative’s performance and contribute to ongoing enhancements. This process will assist CooperVision in eventual program expansion, reaching more communities and providing myopia management to an even greater number of under-resourced children.
“The initial group of children enrolled in Generation Sight are pioneers—their experiences and feedback will pave the way for so many others in the months and years ahead,” said Dr. Andrews.
For more information about CooperVision visit www.coopervision.com
* U.S. Indications for Use: MiSight® 1 day (omafilcon A) soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses for daily wear are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.
‡Compared to a single vision 1 day lens over a 3-year period.
† U.S. Indications for Use: Rigid Gas Permeable Paragon CRT® Contact Lenses (paflufocon B), Paragon CRT® 100 Contact Lenses (paflufocon D) and Paragon CRT Dual Axis® Contact Lenses (paflufocon D) for Corneal Refractive Therapy are indicated for use in the reduction of myopic refractive error in non-diseased eyes. The lenses are indicated for overnight wear in a Corneal Refractive Therapy fitting program for the temporary reduction of myopia up to 6.00 diopters in eyes with astigmatism up to 1.75 diopters. The lenses may be disinfected using only a chemical disinfection system.
§ FDA Approved to temporarily correct vision overnight.
References:
1. K. Zadnik, G.L. Mitchell, L.A. Jones, D.O. Mutti; Factors Associated with Rapid Myopia Progression in School-aged Children. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2004;45(13):2306.
2. Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year randomized clinical trial of MiSight® lenses for myopia control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8):556-567.
