EssilorLuxottica Partners with Ecosystem Stakeholders to Advance 'Bright Vision Initiative' and Launches Two Innovative Myopia Management Products at CIIE 2021

Shanghai, November 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- During the fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE), EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in vision care and eyewear manufacturing, once again joined hands with partners in the vision health ecosystem to focus on myopia prevention and control for children and adolescents. Initiatives included launching the "Bask in the Sunlight, Stay Away from Myopia" campaign for children and teenagers, responding to industry experts' call to initiate the compilation of version 2.0 of the *Myopia Management White Paper*, and debuting two groundbreaking new products proven to effectively slow the progression of myopia in children. Through public education, industry consensus, and product innovation, these efforts aim to advance the nationwide "Bright Cause" of myopia prevention and control, safeguarding the future of our children.

In recent years, as myopia has risen to become a major public health issue affecting the physical and mental health of the population, strengthening the prevention and control of myopia in children and adolescents, and promoting their visual health, has become a "Bright Project" that the government and society pay close attention to. According to data from the National Health Commission, the overall myopia rate among children and adolescents in China was 52.7% in 2020, compared to 50.2% in 2019.

EssilorLuxottica Greater China President Du Mano said: "Children and adolescents are the future of the country, and protecting their vision health is of profound and great significance. The CIIE has provided us with a platform to aggregate the wisdom and strength of all parties, jointly build a myopia prevention and control network, advocate the importance of vision health, and promote the development of the industry. This year, we are very pleased to once again join hands with partners in the ecosystem during the CIIE to further advance the cause of myopia prevention and control, while introducing the world's leading innovative products and solutions for children and adolescents' myopia prevention and control into the Chinese market, to better protect the eyes of our next generation."

"Bathe in the Sunlight, Stay Away from Myopia" Initiative Launched to Encourage Children to Embrace the Outdoors

Myopia Prevention and Control Should Follow the Principle of "Prevention First, Combining Prevention and Treatment" – Preventing the Onset of New Myopia While Controlling Existing Myopia Through Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment. Research Shows That Two Hours of Outdoor Activities Per Day and Sufficient Sunlight Exposure Are Among the Most Effective and Simple Ways to Prevent Myopia. In June This Year, the Ministry of Education of China Released the "Bright Action Initiative for National Children and Adolescents' Myopia Prevention and Control," Calling on Parents to Actively Encourage Their Children to Engage in Outdoor Activities and Physical Exercise; Schools Must Ensure That Physical Education and Health Classes Are Fully Offered and Effectively Taught, Guaranteeing Students Two Hours of Daily Outdoor Activities. Against This Backdrop, EssilorLuxottica Has Actively Responded to the Call, Cooperating With Education Authorities at All Levels, Launching the Public Initiative for Children and Adolescents: "Bask in the Sunlight, Stay Away From Myopia." The Initiative Urges Parents to Take Their Children Out of Classrooms and Bedrooms, Limit Screen Time, Let Eyes Soak Up Sunlight, and Return to Nature.

Ni Minjing, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, shared Shanghai's practical experience at the initiative meeting: "The public generally lacks confidence in myopia prevention and control for children and adolescents, and even feels helpless, but in fact, there are solutions. In 2016, Shanghai carried out a two-year practice in 24 compulsory education schools. The results showed that as long as students have more than two hours of outdoor activity time, the myopia rate can be reduced by 30%."

Professor Jia Qu, head of the China National Expert Group on Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Myopia in Children and Adolescents, stated: "The prevention and control of myopia in children and adolescents is a systematic project that requires the participation of the entire society. By launching the 'Bask in the Sunlight, Stay Away from Myopia' initiative, we hope to raise societal awareness about the importance of outdoor activities, giving children more sunlight, happiness, and health."

Essilor Luxottica Initiates "Basking in the Sun, Keeping Myopia at Bay" Campaign for Children and Adolescents (From left to right: Dr. Jianzhong Lu, President of Greater China Affairs at Essilor; Professor Xiao Yang from Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University; Professor Xiaomei Qu from the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University; Professor Fan Lü from the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University; Professor Jia Qu, Director of the Department of Optometry and Ophthalmology at Wenzhou Medical University; George Lam, President of Vision Care at Essilor Greater China; Professor Jun Jiang from the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University)

《Myopia Management White Paper》Version 2.0 Launches Compilation, Aligning with the Latest Industry Trends

During the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2018, the Ophthalmic Optometry Group of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society and industry experts jointly launched the "Myopia Management White Paper" project, which was officially released in 2019. Based on the fundamental framework of the "Implementation Plan for Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Myopia in Children and Adolescents," the white paper provides optometrists and myopic patients with feasible, credible, and accessible standardized solutions for myopia management. During this year’s CIIE, EssilorLuxottica actively supported the Ophthalmic Optometry Group of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society in initiating the compilation of version 2.0 of the "Myopia Management White Paper" to align with the latest trends and requirements in myopia management.

Professor Lü Fan, Head of the Ophthalmic Optometry Group of the Chinese Medical Association, mentioned at the conference: "In the 2.0 version, we will continue to improve the comprehensive myopia management plan, update the theories and new technologies of myopia management and their applications, and address both 'prevention' and 'control' aspects to provide consumers with more diverse options, clinical technology alternatives, and guidelines for combined use. In addition, the 2.0 version of the white paper will include preschool children and high myopia populations in its research scope, developing prevention and control guidance plans tailored to the needs of these special groups, thereby better guiding doctors in standardized refraction and helping children use their eyes correctly, while pragmatically advancing the implementation of national policies."

The compilation of the 2.0 version of the "Myopia Management White Paper" has officially started (from left to right: Dr. Jianzhong Lü, President of Greater China Affairs at Essilor; Professor Jun Jiang from the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University; Professor Fan Lü from the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University; Guoliang Lin, President of Vision Care at Essilor Greater China; Professor Xiao Yang from Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University).

Two Heavyweight New Products Launched at CIIE, Strengthening the Comprehensive Myopia Management Solution

During last year's CIIE, EssilorLuxottica globally launched Stellest.^®Lenses benefit hundreds of thousands of children and adolescents within a year. This year, EssilorLuxottica has once again stepped up its efforts, releasing two groundbreaking myopia management innovation products during the CIIE.

MiSight in collaboration with CooperVision^TMThe soft hydrophilic contact lens is currently the world's first and only soft hydrophilic contact lens approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for slowing the progression of myopia in children and adolescents aged 8-12 years at the initial fitting. The product has also been granted priority review by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and was approved in August 2021. MiSight is supported by three years of clinical research evidence and is suitable for correcting myopia in children aged 8-12 years at the initial fitting. The product features a concentric bifocal design that creates myopic defocus, with the aim of slowing the change in axial length of children's eyes. This CIIE marks the first appearance of MiSight in mainland China, with an expected official launch in spring 2022.

Another innovative product making its Asian debut is the Diffusion Optics Technology lens. Clinical trials involving myopic children conducted at 14 trial sites in North America have demonstrated that this lens can effectively slow the progression of myopia. Additionally, the lens product has received EU CE certification. Diffusion Optics Technology is expected to enter the Chinese market next year.

MiSight(TM) Soft Hydrophilic Contact Lenses and Diffusion Optics Technology Lenses

Lin Guoliang, President of Vision Care at Essilor Greater China, stated: "We are committed to bringing the latest advancements and innovations in myopia prevention and control from around the world to children and adolescents in China. The launch of these two new products will further enhance the current market offerings for myopia management among children and teenagers, allowing them to choose solutions that best fit their lifestyle and usage scenarios. Moving forward, we will continue to accelerate the innovation and development of myopia prevention and control solutions, providing children and adolescents with a broader range of more personalized products so they can learn and play without barriers, growing up healthy and happy."

For many years, EssilorLuxottica has been actively uniting various forces to build a vision health ecosystem. During last year's China International Import Expo (CIIE), EssilorLuxottica, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, a think tank under the Ministry of Education, released the first 3D children’s eye care pop-up book in China, titled *Our Eyes*. The company also supported the independent eye health platform ZhiShiJu™ and Tencent Medical Encyclopedia in advancing public education on eye health through digital technology. Additionally, EssilorLuxottica has channeled its ecosystem efforts into social welfare. In May this year, the Essilor Vision Foundation launched the "Bright Childhood, Lighting Up Shidian" project in Yunnan, gathering several caring companies in the industry to provide free vision screenings and eyeglasses fittings for over 3,000 local primary and secondary school students. On World Sight Day, October 14, just past, the group, in partnership with *Southern Weekly*, optometry experts, and principals and teachers from schools across China, initiated the public welfare campaign "Guarding a Bright Vision: Caring for the Vision Health of Primary and Secondary School Students," which attracted nearly 4,500 students and parents to participate.