Johnson & Johnson Vision announced that it received approval in Japan for its Acuvue Theravision lens with Ketotifen.
The company touts the lens as the first and only vision-correcting contact lens that relieves allergic eye itch through drug delivery, according to a news release.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) approved the lens, which delivers ketotifen, an H1 histamine receptor antagonist for the prevention of itch associated with eye allergies.
“This approval marks another significant milestone in Johnson & Johnson Vision’s legacy of rethinking what’s possible with contact lenses, and bringing forward innovations to help eye care practitioners better meet the needs of their patients around the world,” J&J Vision global head of R&D Dr. Xiao-Yu Song said in the release. “Our goal at Johnson & Johnson Vision is to change the trajectory of eye health and we will continue to drive new innovation and technologies that correct, enhance, and restore people’s vision over their lifetimes.”
Johnson & Johnson Vision 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.
“Over 40 percent of people suffer from eye allergies, and of those, 80 percent feel frustrated when allergies interfere with contact lens wear,” J&J Vision director of clinical science Dr. Brian Pall said. “We’re proud to bring forward a new contact lens that simultaneously provides vision correction and relief of allergic eye itch, without the need for allergy eye drops.”
