United States medical device company Visioneering Technologies Inc. (VTI) has teamed with Australia’s Gelflex as its new distributors, aiming to taking its NaturalVue (etafilcon A) Multifocal 1 Day contact lenses “to the next level” across Australia and New Zealand.
VTI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Juan Carlos Aragon, told mivision that while there has been “significant growth” in the NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day contact lenses since its 2018 launch, the new partnership was a strategic decision to expand the ANZ market.
“The end goal is to continue to provide to local eye care practitioners with an excellent performing product, both clinically safe and effective, but expand our reach within the market,” Dr Aragon said.
“And in partnering with Gelflex as our distributor – a company that I’ve known for many years in my previous company roles – we find tremendous compatibility in the opportunities that we see… so we believe that we can take this product to that next level.”
“The end goal is to continue to provide to local eye care practitioners with an excellent performing product, both clinically safe and effective, but expand our reach within the market”
Next Generation on the Horizon
The new partnership comes ahead of the planned rollout of the next generation of VTI’s flagship product, with the company seeking regulatory approval for the NaturalVue Enhanced Multifocal contact lenses.
Dr Aragon described the Enhanced Multifocal product as a “modification”, rather than a completely new offering.
“This lens will include TripleTear Lubrication technology that provides… enhanced comfort from morning to night. This has been accomplished by the addition of comfort ingredients in the saline solution in which the lens is packaged.”
He said these three comfort agents, including hyaluronic acid, “work together to enhance hydration and lubrication”.
“They lock in the moisture in the lens and maintain a clean surface to stabilise the tear film. That is the first change. We’ve also redesigned the edge design of the lens but not the optical design. It’s an ultra-tapered edge design, which enhances the fit… and it enhances comfort by minimising the interaction between the lens and the eyelid.
“And finally, the other change that we’ve made to the enhanced product is a significant reduction, about a 30% reduction, in the overall thickness of the lens, reducing the bulk of the surface of the lens and thickness of the lens.
“The unique focus optics of the NaturalVue extended depth of focus design remains the same. We’re going through the regulatory process now and expect the approval in the near future. Once we do receive it, we would plan to launch this improved product in the marketplace,” Dr Aragon said.
Leveraging the Market
Already supplying nearly two-thirds of eye care professionals (ECPs) across the country, Gelflex is one of the region’s largest distributors of optical products in the ANZ region.
“Since its inception in 1971, Gelflex has maintained a strong focus on providing quality contact lenses with innovative designs to customers. Their focus on providing products that enhance patient health and support strong practices are the attributes that attracted VTI to the company… Gelflex has an excellent reputation for developing strong customer relationships and technical support for specialty products,” Dr Aragon said.
Gelflex Managing Director David Masel said the company was “thrilled” by the new partnership.
“The unique extended depth of focus design of the NaturalVue Multifocal provides eye care practitioners the ability to serve a wide range of patient types – from progressing myopes to advanced presbyopia – all with one lens.
“The product has been well received by practitioners and fits in perfectly with our suite of offerings. As Australia’s largest custom lens laboratory we already have relationships with a large proportion of optometrists around the country. So, we intend to be able to leverage those relationships while working closely with VTI.”
PROTECT Data
Mr Masel said he was first attracted to the NaturalVue product by preliminary data from the PROgressive Myopia Treatment Evaluation for NaturalVue Multifocal Contact Lens Trial (PROTECT).
This data appears to validate VTI’s expectations of the safety and effectiveness of NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day Contact Lenses for slowing the progression of myopia in paediatric patients. One-year results showed that the children wearing NaturalVue Multifocal had significantly slower myopia progression rate and axial length elongation rate than the control group, with children wearing single vision contact lenses.
About two-thirds (64%) of the children wearing the NaturalVue contact lenses experienced no meaningful progression of myopia. On average, there was a slowing in myopia progression of 0.41D (71%) and a reduction of axial elongation of 0.17mm (61%).1 [For further information see NaturalVue PROTECT 12 Month RCT data – Impact of a Unique EDOF Lens on Myopia Progression on the mieducation platform.
“We intend it to be a smooth transition – we will have plenty of stock so orders can be shipped immediately, providing the best service we can for optometrists and their patients”
Transition
Mr Masel said Gelflex planned to promote NaturalVue via exhibitions, seminars, and online training.
“We intend it to be a smooth transition – we will have plenty of stock so orders can be shipped immediately, providing the best service we can for optometrists and their patients,” he said. “Our large technical support team will also be available to answer any queries.”
NaturalVue Multifocal contact lenses were previously distributed by Contact Lens Centre Australia. The product will be available available via the Gelflex platform from 26 August. Visit: gelflex.com/specialty-lenses.
Reference
- Visioneering Technologies, Protect RCT data updated: Results from the 1-year data set. 2024 Jan (fact sheet) available at: vtivision.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VTI-Protect-Fact-Sheet_Rv21.2_digital.pdf [accessed 15 August 2024]
