Innovation and Collaboration: J&J Contact Lens Leaders’ Summit

Margaret Lam, who was presenting at the Summit, spoke to Ashish Kohli and Rebecca Li from Johnson and Johnson, as well as two key speakers, Adele Jefferies and Patti Chan, about their experiences and learnings from the event.

Since J&J’s last Summit, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has evolved dramatically, and yet there have been few opportunities for APAC eye care professionals to meet, share experiences, and learn from each other.

J&J’s two-day October Summit responded to this need, bringing together 17 delegates with experts from six countries with the aim to advance shared goals in innovation and education. Day one comprised of a full day advisory board with the 17 delegates highlighting the remaining opportunities to recruit new contact lens wearers into the category and drive innovations to elevate the patient experience in contact lenses. Day two comprised of a hybrid event with international delegates sharing their best practices using Acuvue’s latest innovations with more than 1,200 practitioners joining either face to face or online.

For Ashish Kohli, J&J’s Senior Director of Commercial Operations and Strategy for Vision (APAC), the Summit underscored J&J’s commitment to harnessing science and ingenuity to drive improvements in eye health.

A key theme of the Summit was training and innovation, particularly for Acuvue Oasys Max 1-Day sphere and Max 1-Day Multifocal contact lenses. J&J spoke about how this technology can improve patient outcomes, especially for those who spend significant time on digital devices or who suffer from any dryness or discomfort from their current contact lenses. The company also spoke about the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline multifocal fittings, which Mr Kohli sees as a step toward elevating patient outcomes and enabling eye care professionals to provide customised solutions for each market’s unique needs.

Attendee feedback highlighted strong attendee appreciation for J&J’s continued investment in innovation and training. Mr Kohli said he viewed the Summit as a step towards increasing contact lens adoption, which will be of benefit to improve the quality of life for patients across APAC.

This technology has the potential to guide both practitioners and patients through a more successful multifocal lens experience by tailoring prescription fitting based on individual attributes like lifestyle

Collaborative Learning

Rebecca Li, J&J’s Senior Manager of Professional Education and Development for Vision (APAC), plays a crucial role in enhancing patient outcomes across APAC by delivering professional education. Her primary objective at the Summit was to create a forum where contact lens leaders could share knowledge and exchange best practices in leveraging innovations within their clinical practice.

Ms Li said that while J&J’s innovations are extensive, successful patient outcomes ultimately rely on eye care practitioners’ ability to identify patient needs, set accurate expectations, and provide effective fitting and follow-up care. She noted the value of the ‘red/amber/green light system’ for practice, an approach that encourages practitioners to proactively engage with patients on how to optimise care and identify when patients would benefit from an improvement in their contact lenses.

successful outcomes ultimately rely on eye care practitioners’ ability to identify patient needs, set accurate expectations, and provide effective fitting and follow-up care

Practical Insights and New Connections

Adele Jefferies, the National Clinical Manager at Matthews Optometry, New Zealand, attended the Summit as a speaker to share her understanding of J&J’s products. Also attending as a delegate, Ms Jefferies described the Summit as a valuable opportunity to connect with other practitioners, and to learn about their approaches and challenges across various scopes of practice. She found the presentations on contact lens fitting tools being developed by J&J particularly compelling.

Ms Jefferies also valued the Summit’s balance between structured learning and open discussion. She described it as a “refreshing experience” that reinforced the need for educating younger practitioners, sharing best practices, and staying adaptable as visual needs evolve.

Redefining Quality In Vision Care

Patti Chan, an experienced optometrist from Brighter Optical in Hong Kong who has attended the Summit in past years, said her aim was to acquire practical, real world strategies that could improve patient outcomes. She found the Summit’s exploration of quality vision and contact lens fitting technologies, especially in the realm of multifocal lenses, both enlightening and reaffirming.

For Ms Chan, ensuring patients achieve “6/happy vision” – a holistic view that emphasises quality over simple acuity – was a significant takeaway. In her capacity as a Summit speaker, she spoke about how she is integrating newer technologies, such as high energy visible (HEV) light-filtering for reducing glare into her practice to address age-related vision challenges.

Ms Chan also highlighted the importance of real-time trials and shared her excitement to have heard from practitioners about projects in Korea, where J&J is piloting AI tools to enhance multifocal contact lens fittings. This technology has the potential to guide both practitioners and patients through a more successful multifocal lens experience by tailoring prescription fitting based on individual attributes such as lifestyle.

The J&J Contact Lens Leaders’ Summit highlighted some of the multifaceted outcomes of contact lens innovation: driving adoption, enhancing clinical training, and ensuring that patient needs remain at the heart of every development.

Details regarding the 2025 Summit will be released next year.