Essilor Stellest lenses slow myopia progression by 71% in US trial

A two-year randomized clinical trial conducted in the United States has demonstrated that Essilor Stellest spectacle lenses can slow the progression of myopia in children by 71%. The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, involved 159 myopic children aged six to 12 years across nine clinical sites.

The trial compared lenses integrating highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) against conventional single-vision lenses. Results showed that children using HAL lenses experienced an adjusted mean myopia progression of 0.25 dioptres, compared to 0.90 dioptres in the control group. Additionally, the HAL group recorded 53% less axial elongation.

These findings provide peer-reviewed evidence supporting the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) De Novo marketing authorization for these lenses, which are the first and only spectacle lenses authorized by the FDA to slow myopia progression in children. The research comes amid concerns regarding rising global myopia prevalence, which is projected to reach 50% of the population by 2050.