The world’s first red light therapy to manage myopia at home has been launched at the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress (APAO) 2023 in Kuala Lumpur.
The Myproclear system, launched by Australian MedTech Company Eyerising International, has been clinically proven to control myopia progression in children aged three to 16 by almost 90%.1
The therapy involves looking into the Myproclear device for three minutes of treatment, twice a day, five days per week, with a minimum of four hours between sessions. The device is controlled with a simple touchscreen and is suitable for children as young as three years of age.
Myproclear monitors and shares patient compliance data with practitioners for use during follow-up examinations. It also sends reminders to the guardian if the patient misses a treatment session.
Professor Mingguang He, from the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), said it is vital to manage myopia progression as soon as possible “because the sooner it is controlled, the better chance to avoid the children becoming high myopia when they reach adulthood”.
“This intervention will therefore minimise the risk of developing sight-threatening disorders such as retinal dystrophy in later life,” said Professor He, who spoke at the launch.
At the current rate of progression, it is anticipated that one in two people globally will be myopic by 2050, with 20% at risk of high myopia.2 If left untreated, myopia can lead to various sight-threatening conditions in later life, including retinal detachment, myopia maculopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts.
The device is controlled with a simple touchscreen and is suitable for children as young as three years of age
New Tool For Myopia Control
Paul Cooke, Chief Executive Officer of Eyerising International, said repeated low-level red-light therapy works by improving ocular blood flow to thicken the choroidal layer of the wall of the eye, which strengthens the eye and reduces further elongation, thereby reducing the myopia progression.
He described the Eyerising Myproclear as a “new tool in the myopia control toolkit”.
“With the Eyerising Myproclear, treatment can begin potentially sooner, offered as a new adjunct therapy with contact lenses or defocus spectacles, and additionally, as an alternative therapy for patients not responding to, or having complications with, their existing myopia control treatments.”
The device is available in New Zealand. Eyerising International is seeking approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration and hopes to receive clearance for use in Australia by the second half of this year.
References
- Jiang, Y., Zhu Z., Tan, X., et al., Effect of repeated low-level red-light therapy for myopia control in children: a multicentre randomized controlled trial. Ophthalmology. 129.5 (2022): 509–519.
- Holden B.A., Fricke T.R., Wilson D.A., et al., Global Prevalance of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 to 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016 May;123(5):1036–42. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26875007/ [Accessed 27 Feb 2023].
