Johnson & Johnson Vision*, a global leader in eye health and part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies**, today announced ACUVUE® Abiliti™ - a new brand for future products and services to help parents and eye care providers address the growing prevalence and progression of myopia in children.
Myopia is sometimes called 'nearsightedness' but it is much more. It is a chronic and progressive disease that poses the biggest eye health threat of the 21st Century1. Young children that are less than 12 years of age and become myopic are the most vulnerable to develop high myopia and are at increased risk of sight-threatening eye diseases later in life2. Half of the world's population is projected to be myopic by 2050 with nearly one billion people expected to have high myopia3.
Abiliti™ will provide parents and eye care providers with comprehensive resources, including products and services, to address the progression of myopia in children. Each annual purchase of an Abiliti™ product will 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 program from the 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.
"There is no greater purpose than addressing the severity and prevalence of myopia," said Peter Menziuso, Worldwide President, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care***. "For decades, Johnson & Johnson has been leading with science to deepen the clinical understanding of myopia as part of our vision to help the world see better, connect better and live better. Our new Abiliti™ brand is another important step forward in our efforts to change the trajectory of eye health with a suite of future products and services that can help address the progression of myopia for so many families."
The introduction of Abiliti™ is the latest from Johnson & Johnson Vision to address the growing myopia epidemic following the company's partnership with Menicon to bring forward a therapeutic contact lens that can help address the progression of myopia in children. Earlier this year, the company also announced the development of a first-of-its-kind myopia management guide with recommendations for eye care professionals to assess, monitor and treat myopia in children. The guide, titled Managing Myopia: A Clinical Response to the Growing Epidemic, is a result of a year of collaboration with leading organizations in optometry, including the American Optometric Association (AOA), American Academy of Optometry (AAO), Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) and Singapore Optometric Association (SOA).
Parents and eye care providers who want more information can visit www.seeyourabiliti.com.
© Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., 2021. All rights reserved.
***Peter Menziuso is an employee of Johnson & Johnson Vision, Inc. with oversight as the Global President of the Vision Care organization.
1 JJV data on file 2021.
2 Hu et al "Association of Age at Myopia Onset With Risk of High Myopia in Adulthood in a 12-Year Follow-up of a Chinese Cohort" Jama Oph 2020)
3 Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 to 2050. Ophthalmol. 2016;123(5):1036-1042. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.01.006
