New Contact Lenses Launched for Astigmatism and Presbyopia

Bausch + Lomb has announced the United States launch of their ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism contact lenses, a multifocal toric lens available as a standard offering.¹

The monthly gel lens was designed to fit the lifestyle and vision needs of patients with both astigmatism and presbyopia. In order to counter both vision problems, the lens combines Bausch + Lomb's signature 3-Zone Progressive multifocal design with the OpticAlign toric design for presbyopia.¹ The silicone gel lenses are specifically engineered for maximal comfort, exceptional visual clarity and stability, and efficient fitting.

Astigmatism can be caused either by an irregularly-shaped cornea or because of the curvature of the lens inside the eye, causing blurred vision.³ Astigmatism lenses are the second largest segment in contact lenses and comprise nearly one-third of all adults age 40 years or over currently wearing some type of vision correction.²

"Bausch + Lomb ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism contact lenses are the culmination of our innovative multifocal and toric contact lens designs and a direct result of the feedback from providers who have been wanting a new contact lens option for their patients with astigmatism and presbyopia—patients who have been previously challenged due to a lack of convenient lens options," said John Ferris, VP and general manager of US Vision Care for Bausch and Lomb, in a press release.¹

Presbyopia is a normal loss of near focusing ability that occurs with age. As patients age, their eyes' lenses do not change shape as easily, resulting in a weakened ability to focus on nearby objects. Most people lose some ability to focus on close objects by age 40 years.⁴

Despite an estimated 32 million patients in the United States with both astigmatism, those patients were previously limited to custom ordered lenses, monovision, readers, or complete contact lens drop out. All of these alternatives would still leave the wearer with compromised vision, but the ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism lenses are designed to fill that need. Bausch + Lomb is the first company to create a solution to this significant unmet need in the vision market, according to the company.²

These lenses also allow eye care professionals to fit patients with diagnostic lenses during their initial visit, rather than requiring a follow-up appointment as was necessary with custom ordered lenses. With the ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism lenses as a standard offering, eye care professionals can offer patients a broad range of parameteres from +4.00 to -6.00 D, with 2 add powers and 3 cylinders of astigmatism correction¹.

The FDA granted 510(K) clearance for the ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism lenses in December 2018.² The 510(K) is a premarket submission given to the FDA, which demonstrates that the device is at least as safe and effective as a legally marketed device.⁵

The ULTRA Multifocal for Astigmatism contact lenses are expected to be available by mid-2019.²

References

• Dange R. Bausch Lomb ULTRA® Multifocal for Astigmatism Contact Lenses Now Available for First Time as Standard Offering in Fit Sets. Bausch Consumer. http://www.bausch.com/our-company/recent-news/artmid/11336/articleid/518/6192019-wednesday. Published June 19, 2019. Accessed June 20, 2019.
• Tiwari P. BAUSCH LOMB RECEIVES 510(K) CLEARANCE FROM FDA FOR BAUSCH LOMB ULTRA® MULTIFOCAL FOR ASTIGMATISM CONTACT LENSES. Bausch Consumer. http://www.bausch.com/our-company/recent-news/artmid/11336/articleid/460/1252018-wednesday. Published December 5, 2018. Accessed June 20, 2019.
• Facts About Astigmatism. National Eye Institute. https://nei.nih.gov/health/errors/astigmatism. Published October 1, 2010. Accessed June 20, 2019.
• Facts About Presbyopia. National Eye Institute. https://nei.nih.gov/health/errors/presbyopia. Published October 1, 2010. Accessed June 20, 2019.
• Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Premarket Notification 510(k). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/premarket-submissions/premarket-notification-510k. Published September 27, 2018. Accessed June 20, 2019.