SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CooperVision,
a global leader in myopia management, today announced popular US
television actress, producer, and entrepreneur Sarah Michelle Gellar as the spokesperson for
its Brilliant Futures™ Myopia Management Program. Brilliant
Futures™ is built around MiSight® 1 day, the first and only soft
contact lens FDA-approved* to slow the progression of myopia in
children ages 8-12 at the initiation of
treatment.†1 More than 40% of Americans have
myopia, commonly referred to as nearsightedness, and that number is
increasing at an alarming rate, especially among school-aged
children.2,3
Two-thirds of eye care professionals in the United States say the incidence of myopia
among children in their practices has increased over the past 5-10
years1 and 81% of those practitioners recognize it as
one of the biggest problems impacting children's eyesight
today.1 The effects of myopia go beyond the
inability to see objects clearly at a distance; worsening myopia
may contribute to more severe eye health complications and
sight-threatening conditions later in life.1-5
"CooperVision received FDA-approval of the MiSight® 1 day
contact lens on Nov. 15, 2019, making
the United States our 18th market
worldwide. This reinforced CooperVision as a leader in the myopia
management category," said Daniel G.
McBride, President of CooperVision. "In this particular
moment in time, with so many children learning virtually and
spending less time outdoors, the topic of myopia management is more
relevant than ever before. As category creators and leaders in the
myopia management sector, we believe it is our responsibility and
privilege, alongside the optometric community, to educate parents
and offer them tools to help their children who may be struggling
with myopia. Our decision to make this sizable investment in
educating parents is consistent with our view that addressing
myopia early is vitally important."
This new, multichannel direct-to-consumer advertising campaign
featuring Gellar will highlight the importance of annual
comprehensive eye exams in monitoring the progression of myopia in
children. The campaign will include national and regional broadcast
segments, content across digital and social media, and influencers
who will be sharing their personal experiences with myopia. In
addition, CooperVision will be collaborating with the National
Association of School Nurses (NASN) to engage in meaningful
unbranded conversations about myopia with the organization's
members. While the NASN does not endorse products, school nurses
are often the first to observe the signs of myopia in affected
children and are therefore important myopia management
advocates.
"My husband and I are both nearsighted – and our myopia has
continued to worsen over time," said Gellar. "We want our kids to
have a chance for better vision and lower their risk for future eye
health issues. While regular eyeglasses or contacts help children
see a whiteboard or tennis ball today, MiSight® 1 day lenses offer
children the benefits of clear vision while slowing myopia
progression during their growing years*. That is why I am thrilled
to be partnering with CooperVision on this campaign."
"CooperVision has always been committed to eye health
innovation," said Jerry
Warner, Executive Vice President, Americas and Global
Commercial Functions of CooperVision. "The goal of this campaign is
to help build awareness of the short and long term effects of
myopia. More than just vision correction, CooperVision's myopia
management program can help build a brilliant future for our
children."
To learn more, visit
https://coopervision.com/practitioner/myopia-management
* Indications for use: MiSight® 1 day
(omafilcon A) soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses for daily wear are
indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing
the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who
at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a
refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤
0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after
each removal.
†Compared to a single vision 1 day lens over a 3 year
period.
References:
1 Chamberlain P, et al. A
3-year randomized clinical trial of MiSight® lenses for myopia
control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8): 556-567.
2 Holden BA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High
Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology.
2016;123(5):1036-42.
3 Cooper Y. (2019, May 1). With
Childhood Myopia Rates on the Rise, the American Optometric
Association Highlights the Importance of Early Intervention through
Annual Eye Exams. Retrieved from
https://www.aoa.org/newsroom/myopia-rates-on-the-rise-syvm.
4 CooperVision® data on file 2019. Myopia Awareness, The
Harris Poll online survey 6/27/19 to
7/18/19 of n=313 ECPs (who see at least 1/month myopic
child, age 8-15) in U.S. Slightly or significantly increased.
5 CooperVision® data on file 2019. Myopia Awareness, The
Harris Poll online survey 6/27/19 to
7/18/19 of n=313 ECPs (who see at least 1/month myopic
child, age 8-15) in U.S. ODs (89%) and MDs (68%) strongly/somewhat
agree.
6 Xu L, Wang Y, Wang S, Wang Y Jonas JB. 'High Myopia and
Glaucoma Susceptibility: The Beijing Eye Study. Ophthalmology,
2007;114(2):216-20.
7Flitcroft DI. The complex interactions of retinal, optical, and
environmental factors in myopia aetiology Prog Retin Eye Res.
2012;31(6):622-660.
8 Chen SJ, et al. Prevalence and associated risk factors of
myopic maculopathy in elderly Chinese: the Shihpai eye study.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53(8):4868-4873.
9 Chen SJ, et al. High myopia as a risk factor in primary open
angle glaucoma. Int J Ophthalmol. 2012; 5(6):750-753.
10 Younan C, et al. Myopia and incident cataract and cataract
surgery: the blue mountains eye study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci.
2002;43(3625-3632).
About CooperVision
CooperVision, a division of
CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world's leading
manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full
array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly contact lenses, all
featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong
heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as
astigmatism, presbyopia and childhood myopia; and offers the most
complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products
available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused
practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective
to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and
wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies ("Cooper") is a
global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE
(NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business
units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision
brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to
developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens
wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical
is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families
with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on
medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in
San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has a
workforce of more than 12,000 with products sold in over 100
countries. For more information, please
visit www.coopercos.com.
Media Contacts
Consumer Media:
EvolveMKD, CooperVision@EvolveMKD.com or +1-646-517-4220
Eyecare, Medical and Science Media:
McDougall Communications, jamie@mcdougallpr.com or
+1-585-478-4338 (mobile)
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SOURCE CooperVision