SightGlass Vision Treatments to reduce myopia progression are urgently needed

The life sciences company, SightGlass Vision, has developed a spectacle lens that seeks to reduce the progression of myopia in children through Diffusion Optics Technology.

The lens received CE Mark declaration in June 2020, and a joint venture of EssilorLuxottica and CooperVision to accelerate the commercialisation of the technology kicked off this year.

This September, SightGlass Vision exhibited at the International Myopia Conference (IMC) for the first time, presenting insights from its clinical trial CYPRESS (Control of myopia using peripheral diffusion lenses: efficacy and safety study). 

Ahead of the event, Andrew Sedgwick, CEO of the company, confirmed that SightGlass Vision is fully operational and making “good progress” on commercial launches in markets including China, Israel, and the Netherlands.

He remarked that the data analysis from CYPRESS suggests “we have a promising approach to myopia control for children as early as age six.”

In light of these developments, OT asked Sedgwick about the technology, the CYPRESS survey and the roll-out of the lens.

Andrew Sedgwick

The technology

Could you give us a brief background on SightGlass Vision and the company’s work in myopia?

The SightGlass Vision team is dedicated to delivering science-based treatments to address the growing prevalence and severity of childhood myopia through research, development, and clinical progress. We began as a start-up in 2016 and now operate as a joint venture of EssilorLuxottica and CooperVision. 

Supported by the strength of this joint venture, our team is accelerating the commercialisation of our novel spectacle lens design utilising Diffusion Optics Technology and working to expand the myopia management category worldwide.

Could you tell us about SightGlass Vision’s Diffusion Optics Technology and how this works for myopia management?

Spectacle lenses using the patented SightGlass Vision Diffusion Optics Technology incorporate thousands of micro-dots that softly scatter light to reduce contrast on the retina — a method intended to reduce myopia progression in children. It’s the first myopia management treatment of its kind to use this mechanism of action.

High amounts of contrast detected by the retina may lead to axial elongation and myopia progression. By slightly reducing high contrast light on the retina, our clinical research has shown a reduction in the progression of myopia over time.

The research

SightGlass Vision recently released the preliminary three-year findings of its CYPRESS study. Could you tell us about the study and how it was conducted?

The CYPRESS study has been carefully designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of novel spectacle lenses in reducing myopia progression in children. We have completed our three-year randomised, controlled, double-masked clinical trial with children aged six to 10 years old enrolled across 14 North American sites. We are now continuing beyond this and very encouraged by the results.

Children were asked to wear the study spectacles at all times apart from during contact sports, swimming and sleeping. This was defined as full-time wear. An analysis of full-time wearers showed statistically significant improvements between groups using Diffusion Optics Technology lenses and the control.

The three-year results demonstrated that novel spectacles are safe and reduce myopia progression in children aged six to 13 years. The clinical trial results support the hypothesis that reducing retinal contrast minimises myopia progression in young children.

Children as young as six were included in the study. Could you tell us about the decisions behind the demographic chosen for the study, and why it is important to look at this age group?

The study involved a subgroup analysis of children aged six to seven years old at the initiation of treatment. Though more severe adult myopia is generally linked to earlier onset, there are currently no interventions with demonstrated efficacy for this young age group. It’s a pressing need that the myopia management category still needs to address.

Myopia is a global epidemic that is increasing in both prevalence and severity. Treatments to reduce myopia progression are urgently needed, particularly those effective for young children. Early intervention has the greatest potential for reducing myopia progression and lowering the future risk of sight-threatening complications.

Only the CYPRESS study has demonstrated efficacy for six to seven-year-old children, using our novel spectacle lenses with Diffusion Optics Technology. That is a big step forward for us, the category, and younger children.

One thing that hasn’t changed from the day we began is the global threat of myopia. If anything, it has become more pronounced

What makes Diffusion Optics Technology unique compared to other myopia management lenses available currently? What will this lens mean as a new option for patients and practices?

Our work postulates that high retinal contrast from the visual environment may contribute to myopia. This offers a way of approaching myopia that is different from technologies founded on the defocus theory, in which lenses that provide myopic defocus have also been shown to slow progression of myopia. Both approaches have been found effective and both will be necessary to grow the category.

The strength of SightGlass Vision’s unique approach is that it reduces contrast at all viewing distances, including close-up work without the addition of plus power (or blur in the treatment zone) and offers excellent distance and near binocular visual acuities.

With SightGlass Vision Diffusion Optics Technology, we aim to offer a novel myopia control spectacle lens for patients and practices, which is demonstrated to be safe and effective in children aged six to 10 years old at initiation of treatment.

Commercialisation and next steps

What does it mean for SightGlass Vision to be supported through the joint venture agreement between EssilorLuxottica and CooperCompanies?

SightGlass Vision is taking the best from these two global vision care leaders to accelerate commercialisation of our novel spectacle lens with Diffusion Optics Technology to expand the myopia management category. Whilst we have our own leadership and operate as an independent entity, we benefit from close collaboration. EssilorLuxottica and CooperVision provide invaluable guidance across multiple dimensions of the business.

Improved access to interventions can help children today – and in their future – it’s a privilege to be part of that

What progress has SightGlass Vision seen in operational and commercial development? What does the global product roll-out look like?

Commercial pilots are ongoing in select markets in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, including the UK, Canada, Israel and China, and we launched in the Netherlands late last year. We’re working with our distributors to plan future commercial roll-outs over the coming months.

At the same time, we recruited a remarkable senior leadership team, and have been continuing to expand staff concurrent with company growth. Improved access to interventions can help children today – and in their future – it’s a privilege to be part of that, and we’re putting the right infrastructure in place to make that happen.

What is next for SightGlass Vision?

Next, we look forward to sharing further analysis of the three-year CYPRESS clinical study with our peers at future conferences, as well as continuing our work with an extension study to provide more evidence behind contrast management to support eye care professionals in their clinical decisions.

In future studies, we are considering additional global participation—i.e., establishing studies outside of North America—to further confirm the benefits that Diffusion Optics Technology may offer children with myopia.

One thing that hasn’t changed from the day we began is the global threat of myopia. If anything, it has become more pronounced. It’s our mission to help slow the progression of myopia in children with safe and effective technology so that together — with the eye care communities and families — we can create a brighter future.

For more information

Among the children reported to not remove DOT 0.2 spectacles for near vision activities, the changes in cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) were on average 0.52 D less with DOT 0.2 compared with control at 24 months (−0.36 D vs. -0.88 D, respectively). The company suggested this difference represents a myopia control effect of 59% in SER. At 24 months the change in axial length (AL) was 0.53 mm in the control group versus 0.33 mm in the DOT 0.2 group, representing on average 0.20 mm less growth in the DOT 0.2 group. According to SightGlass Vision, the difference represents a myopia control effect of 38% on average in AL elongation. Sample size: DOT 0.2 n=51, control n=62.