Alcon has launched Total30, a complete suite of reusable contact lenses – with sphere, toric, and multifocal designs – and with all power parameters available for each lens from day one.
The launch of Alcon’s Total30 contact lenses follows the success of Total1, becoming the first-and-only monthly replacement water gradient contact lens.
And according to research, there is definitely demand for 30-day lenses. Despite Australian and New Zealand optometrists having some of the highest prescribing rates of daily disposable contact lenses worldwide, research shows 58% of contact lens wearers in Australia and New Zealand continue to wear a reusable lens.1 This percentage has remained reasonably constant over the past five years.1
“Whilst it is true daily replacement lenses are generally the preferred replacement modality for optometrists to prescribe, reusable lenses are the most prevalent,” said Nadia Michaels, Alcon’s Head of Professional Education and Development for Australia and New Zealand. “Reusable lenses offer a wide range of parameters and are a cost effective and environmentally friendly option for our patients. This is why reusable lenses continue to have a place in optometrists’ prescribing tool kits.”
PATIENT PRACTITIONER EXPERIENCE
At the Sydney launch of Total30, optometrist Heidi Hunter, the owner of an independent practice in Newcastle, said price positioning was one of the factors that she took into consideration when Alcon asked her to trial the new contact lens a few months ago.
Acknowledging that daily disposable contact lenses will always be her preferred prescribing option for patients, she said they don’t suit everyone for a variety of reasons, including the wastage associated with dailies but predominantly “cost, cost, and cost”.
Ms Hunter, who is the President of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia and the President of Optometry NSW/ACT, described her success prescribing the new lens to three patients: a price conscious existing reusable contact lens wearer who was new to her practice and “thinks it’s normal that your contact lens should feel crappy at the end of the day… and sandpapery by day 30”; an existing reusable patient who had “no real presenting complaints, vague discomfort” and vision that was “a bit variable”; and “a patient with no issues whatsoever”.
She said the new lens was immediately preferred by all, reinforcing her view that it is “an excellent new monthly lens material that’s at a great price”. She said explaining the benefits of Total 30’s material and design, in layman’s terms, were key to converting patients to this premium reusable option.
However according to research, 58% of all contact lens wearers experience discomfort,2 with a significantly higher number of reusable lens wearers (73% ) reporting discomfort.3
Rich Oliver, Alcon’s Cluster Franchise Head for Vision Care said this presents a “large segment of new and existing reusable lens wearers that desire new lens technology and exceptional comfort”.
FIRST BREAKTHROUGH IN A DECADE
Alcon said Total30 is the first breakthrough innovation in the reusables space in almost a decade. The last innovation in the reusable contact lens category was launched in 20174 in Australia and New Zealand.
Inspired by the biology of the ocular surface5-7 Alcon’s new reusable contact lens features a dynamic lens surface of polymer nanofibers which is almost identical to the structure of the glycocalyx on the corneal surface.8 Alcon calls this Celligent Technology and claims that when combined with the company’s proprietary water gradient technology, it enables the lens to support a monthly replacement schedule – including the use of lens care solutions and deposit resistance, while maintaining comfort over the month-long period.5,7-14
“Since 2014 our patients who wear daily disposable lenses have been able to access the benefits of the water gradient material with Total1. We’re excited to be adding Total30 to our portfolio and look forward to seeing how the lens will re-define the standard of excellence in the reusable segment,” said Ms Michaels.
OVERCOMING DISCOMFORT
As well as offering patients the benefits of its water gradient material, Mr Oliver said Total30 contact lenses will help with prescribing.
“As far as we are aware, this is the first time a contact lens manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand has released all three optical designs – sphere, toric and multifocal at once with all power parameters for each lens available at launch,” he explained.
“We’ve heard from optometrists that this makes prescribing easier and we understand patients may require different designs in each eye. We hope this means more patients can experience the benefits of Total30, allowing them to see brilliantly and live brilliantly”.
SUPPORTED BY SCIENCE
Alcon launched the new suite of Total30 lenses via a series of face-to-face educational events, supported by science and literature across Australia and New Zealand.
Total30 is now available to order in sphere, toric, and multifocal in Australia and New Zealand.
References
- CLI Marketshare data, Q3 2023. Alcon Data on File: REF-23786.
- Stapleton, F., Bakkar, M., Wolffsohn, J.S., et al., CLEAR – Contact lens complications. Contact Lens and Anterior Eye 2021; 44: 330–367.
- Schnider, C., Evaluating monthly replacement contact lens patient satisfaction. Abstract and lecture presented at the American Academy of Optometry Conference; 2016; Orlando, Florida.
- Bausch and Lomb, History and Heritage (webpage). Available at: bausch.com/about-bausch-lomb/history-heritage [accessed April 2024].05/04/2024.
- Alcon, Scanning transmission electron microscopy of lehfilcon A contact lens and human corneal surface; Alcon data on file, 2020. [Doc. No V-RIM-0032716, p1–3].
- Alcon, Surface characteristics of lehfilcon A. Alcon Data on file, 2021. [Doc. No. A02491-REP-197506, p8.]
- Shi, X., Cantu-Crouch, D., Ishihara, K., et al., Surface characterization of a silicone hydrogel contact lens having bioinspired 2-methyacryloyloxethyl phosphorylcholine polymer layer in hydrated state. Colloids Surf B: Biointerfaces. 2021;199:111539. DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111539.
- Ishihara, K., Fukuzawa, K., Wu, J.Y., et al., Antifouling silicone hydrogel contact lenses with a bioinspired 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine polymer surface. ACS Omega. 2021;6:(10):7058-7067. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c06327.
- Alcon, In vitro evaluation of bacterial adherence in commercial lenses; Alcon data on file, 2020 [Doc. No. TDOC-0057567, p4].
- Alcon, In vitro evaluation of bacterial biofilm in commercial lenses; Alcon data on file, 2020 [Doc. No. V-RIM-0027277, p1].
- Alcon, In vitro evaluation of lipid deposition for lehfilcon A sphere and commercial sphere lenses using 3D confocal imaging; Alcon data on file, 2021 [Doc. No. V-RIM-0034922, p4].
- Alcon, 3D Confocal microscopy high magnification images of lenses; Alcon data on file, [Doc. No. V-RIM-0035878, p1].
- Alcon, Laboratory analysis of surface modulus of lehfilcon A and commercial lenses using atomic force microscope; Alcon data on file, 2020. Doc. No. V-RIM-0032036, p3].
- Alcon, Surface lubricity testing of lehfilcon A and commercial lenses using nano-tribometer; Alcon data on file, 2020. Doc. No. V-RIM-0031794, p2].