Johnson & Johnson Vision announced today that it received Health Canada approval for its Acuvue Theravision drug-eluting contact lens.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based J&J Vision’s Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen is touted as the first and only vision-correcting contact lens that relieves allergic eye itch through drug delivery. The company received Japanese approval for the lens last month.
Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen contains an H1 histamine receptor antagonist to prevent itchy allergy eyes associated with allergic conjunctivitis, according to a news release.
The company said the product is the first in what it calls an entirely new contact lens category that will improve the patient experience for those with allergic eye itch, as it will continue to help those who wear lenses for vision collection while eliminating the need for allergy eye drops.
“We are proud to mark another step forward in delivering this important innovation to help relieve patients from allergic eye itch while continuing to comfortably wear contact lenses,” J&J Vision global head of R&D Dr. Xiao-Yu Song said in the release. “We look forward to working with additional health authorities to make Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen available to more patients around the world.”
