EssilorLuxottica significantly contributed to the scientific dialogue at International Myopia Conference (IMC) 2024 held from September 23-28 in Changsha and Sanya, China. The Group presented a comprehensive scientific program, focused on key topics such as holistic myopia management, including myopia prevention, diagnosis, and combination therapy, reinforcing its commitment to advancing myopia research and innovation on a global scale.
Holistic approach to myopia management
As a central aspect of its participation at IMC, EssilorLuxottica showcased its holistic myopia management approach. This strategy expands the focus of myopia care to include not only diagnosis and treatment but also awareness, education, prevention, and long-term follow-up. The objective is to transition from passive management to proactive prevention, ensuring comprehensive and personalized care for children and adolescents.
Key highlights from conference
EssilorLuxottica’s strong scientific program featured seven podium presentations by leading experts, alongside eight scientific posters from our R&D team and nine from partners, showcasing latest research and advancements in diagnosis, prevention and management of myopia, including innovative solutions such as Essilor Stellest lenses.
Highlights from the pre-IMC event included Dr. Bao Jinhua’s (China) compelling five-year results on HAL spectacle lenses, demonstrating their long-term effectiveness in managing myopia. Prof. Mark Bullimore (USA) discussed innovative approaches to evaluating efficacy in myopia control clinical trials, offering fresh perspectives on assessing treatment outcomes, while Dr. Bryan Sim (Singapore) presented the first independent global prospective study combining low-dose atropine with Essilor Stellest lenses in children. Additionally, Dr. Yang Jiwen (China) shed light on combination of optical interventions for managing myopia, underscoring the critical role of combination therapies in future myopia management strategies. The Group also showcased a range of lenses, and instruments at their booth, highlighting a comprehensive, personalised and integrated approach to myopia management.
Focus on myopia prevention
A key focus at IMC was myopia prevention, with significant contributions from Prof. Zhou Xingtao and Prof. Chen Zhi (China). Their recent randomised clinical trial1 demonstrated that spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets significantly reduced axial length (AL) elongation in pre-myopic children wearing the lenses for over 30 hours per week, establishing a clear dose-response relationship—longer wear time correlated with less AL change. This significant finding supports the new evidence of the use of plano Essilor Stellest lenses for myopia prevention in children who are at risk to develop myopia and paves the way for larger-scale clinical studies.
Innovations and Future Directions in Myopia Management Norbert Gorny, Chief Scientific Officer, EssilorLuxottica, delivered a compelling talk on the future of myopia management in 2034, where he emphasised the shift to cellular-level discussions regarding myopia mechanisms to enhance our understanding of the condition and its interventions. Wee Sing Ong, R&D EssilorLuxottica (Singapore), presented preliminary findings on the Vision-R 800 algorithm for subjective refraction, offering viable alternatives to cycloplegic refraction. Research presented by Sarah Goethals, R&D, EssilorLuxottica (France) revealed that specific retinal ganglion cells can detect defocus by analysing local spatial contrast. This finding enhances our understanding of how the retina modulates eye growth and could enhance the development of myopia control progression lenses by linking optical properties to effective management strategies. Prof. Ranjay Chakraborty (Australia) shared insights into how cyan light impacts myopia development.
In addition, Olga Prenat, Head, Medical & Professional Affairs, EssilorLuxottica, participated in a Global Myopia Public Health Summit, with the participation of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness.
The conference also marked the 60th anniversary of IMC, and EssilorLuxottica contributed to the celebrations with a sponsored video featuring leading minds in myopia research, reflecting on the past, current progress and future directions in myopia management.
“We are convinced that the most recent advancements in our EssilorLuxottica research will play a pivotal role and enable the development of more efficacious solutions while customizing therapies further. This will be instrumental, either for the sake of preventing, delaying the onset of myopia, or significantly improving the efficacy of new lens designs: A crucial asset as personalization will gain more attention in the near future“, said Norbert Gorny.
“We were pleased to share the latest findings on myopia and engage with the scientific community at IMC,” said Olga Prenat “These important research results not only enhance clinical studies but also establish a strong foundation for developing long-term, safe, and effective myopia solutions. “Looking to the future, myopia prevention and personalised end-to-end management, including combination therapy, are key. This approach empowers eye care professionals to make informed decisions and promotes earlier diagnosis and intervention. We are looking forward to the 20th Edition of IMC which will be held in Houston in 2026”.
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