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Study of spectacle lenses to slow myopia underway
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SightGlass Vision Inc. is conducting a 3-year clinical trial of novel spectacle lenses to reduce myopia progression in children, according to a poster presented at the International Myopia Conference in Tokyo.
Researchers first conducted the WALNUT study involving three lenses designed to modulate peripheral contrast to different levels to determine their tolerability. Two of these designs were selected for CYPRESS to evaluate their safety and efficacy for up to 3 years, Joe Rappon, OD, MS, FAAO, SightGlass Vision chief medical officer, and colleagues reported in the poster at the conference.
In WALNUT, a prospective, randomized, subject-masked study, Rappon and colleagues evaluated 21 children with myopia between 6 and 12 years of age. They were randomly selected to wear one of three lens designs bilaterally for 2 weeks. While all three designs resulted in a trend towards reduced axial length over the course of the study, one design resulted in a change that was statistically significant in both eyes (p < .05), the researchers reported. The subjects also indicated that their experience with two of the lens designs were similar to each other as well as their habitual spectacles.
Two lenses from the WALNUT study were chosen for CYPRESS, a multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-masked trial aiming to evaluate their safety and efficacy for 3 years. Subjects include 256 children with myopia 6 to 10 years old at 14 sites in North America. Average cycloplegic autorefraction spherical equivalent refraction was -1.94 D, and average axial length was 24.02 mm at baseline, according to the poster.
“Myopia is increasing dramatically, and millions are at risk of vision-threatening complications due to high myopia,” co-author Jay Neitz, PhD, professor and research director at the department of ophthalmology and co-director of Neitz Lab at the University of Washington, said in a press release from SightGlass Vision. “New therapies that are safe and effective in preventing myopia progression are urgently needed, particularly in young children.” –by Erin T. Welsh
Reference:
Rappon JM, et al. Clinical development of a novel myopia treatment for myopia management. Presented at: International Myopia Conference; Tokyo; September 12-15, 2019.
Disclosures: Rappon is employed by SightGlass Vision. Neitz reports a financial interest in the patent for this product. Please see study abstract for all other authors’ financial disclosures.