Essilor and Paragon Vision Sciences Renew Partnership to Advance Myopia Management Solutions for Adolescents

Shanghai, September 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The 20th International Congress of Ophthalmology and the 20th International Congress of Optometry (COOC 2020) successfully concluded. During the conference, Essilor Group China（(hereinafter referred to as "Essilor")）At the 3rd Essilor Myopia Management Changfeng Forum held concurrently in 2020, a celebration was jointly held with Paragon Vision Sciences (hereinafter referred to as “Paragon”) to mark the third anniversary of the launch of the Paragon CRT 100 orthokeratology lens in China, and both parties announced that they would continue to deepen their cooperation in the future.

Rich Jeffries, Head of Asia-Pacific at Paragon, stated, “In my view, Chinese physicians not only possess world-class technical expertise but also demonstrate unwavering commitment to their myopia patients. I am delighted that our partnership with Essilor continues, which clearly reflects both parties’ strong willingness and confidence in our future collaboration. The shared steadfast adherence to and emphasis on legal compliance, education, and training have laid a solid foundation for our cooperation. We sincerely hope to better serve optometrists and myopia patients by providing appropriate treatment plans and lens options to every patient who trusts us. By joining forces, we do more than improve patients’ vision—we transform their quality of life.”

Lin Guoliang, President of Essilor Vision Care (China), stated, “It is a great honor to continue our in-depth collaboration with Paragon. Beyond our recognition of Paragon’s products, Essilor and Paragon share aligned visions in jointly advancing industry standardization. Through the concerted efforts of both parties and industry experts and scholars, we launched a project earlier this year to work hand in hand with industry specialists to standardize and regulate orthokeratology fitting procedures. Looking ahead, we will continue to partner with Paragon to drive the development of China’s optometry industry and benefit more patients in China.”

Paragon CRT® 100 orthokeratology lenses are a leading brand of overnight orthokeratology (CRT) lenses, widely used globally and renowned for their excellent safety and comfort. Currently, Paragon CRT® 100 lenses have been introduced in over 700 hospitals across China, with their safety and efficacy recognized by numerous domestic and international optometry and ophthalmology experts.

Arthur Kung, General Manager of Specialty Vision Care China at CooperVision, Paragon’s parent company, stated, “CooperVision and Essilor share common goals and research directions in the field of myopia management, both aiming to improve the quality of life for Chinese adolescents by providing excellent myopia solutions.”

As the exclusive national distributor of Paragon CRT® 100 lenses in China, Essilor’s partnership with Paragon began in 2014. Through the joint efforts of both parties, Paragon CRT® 100 lenses successfully entered the Chinese market in 2017, providing myopic patients across China with a more comfortable, convenient, and safer visual experience.

Upholding its service commitment to prioritize patients' visual interests, Essilor has conducted a series of activities—including CRT lens certification training and academic salons—across more than 30 cities in China, guided by the principles of "education first, standardized access, safety first, and precise fitting." As of this month, approximately 1,500 eye care professionals have been certified through these training programs, helping to standardize industry practices while providing robust assurance for the CRT lens-fitting experience of numerous myopia patients.

Dumano, President of Essilor Greater China and President of Essilor’s Global Instrument Division, stated, “For the hundreds of millions of Chinese adolescents with myopia, good vision is undoubtedly essential to helping them fully enjoy this critical stage of life—learning, sports and play, and exploring the world. Essilor has been committed to bringing advanced myopia management products, solutions, and innovations to China, in pursuit of our ambitious vision to eliminate poor vision within a generation. Looking ahead, we look forward to working hand in hand with our partners to help more Chinese adolescents achieve good vision.”