IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FAMILY WHEN DEVELOPING DAILY DISPOSABLE LENSES.
THE NEWEST daily disposable contact lenses are born out of a manufacturer’s desire to expand and complete their families. (See “New in Daily Disposables,” right.) Specifically, the trend is to develop a contact lens and launch it in the widest range of spherical powers before developing others under the brand. An example: a later release of the daily disposable-branded contact lens for astigmatism.
This month, I outline the contact lens development process and its application.
(Note: I am writing as a private practitioner, who has been involved in multiple advisory boards and observed the manufacturing process.)
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
R&D develops the contact lens material and finds which segment of the population it will be most successful in serving.
For example, is it a niche product, such as a soft lens designed to help correct the corneal irregularities of keratoconus? Or, perhaps, it is a workhorse material, such as silicone hydrogel, that can be worn by most patients. After discovering who this product works best for, and why, next comes making the product on a large scale.
MANUFACTURING
Most companies are not ready to mass produce any contact lens to all markets, for example, the United States and Europe, following its introduction. As a result, they develop the manufacturing process, decide where the best opportunity for success is and invest in multiple production lines. This process guides the company’s mass production and, in turn, how the product is made available to the eye care market.
MARKETING AND SALES
Next comes the marketing strategy. Most manufacturers launch their new products to select accounts initially to glean an understanding of early success.
In addition, marketing and sales departments learn about the contact lens and develop support materials for doctors and patients.
FAMILY PORTRAIT
Once the family is complete, from the manufacturer’s perspective, each eye care practitioner has multiple options for prescribing his or her favorite brand, or brands, of daily disposable contact lenses. OM
New in Daily Disposables
After developing a successful single vision spherical daily disposable contact lens, next comes the family of contact lens designs. Either toric or multifocal designs will come next, depending on where the best opportunity is recognized. The other design will be developed to complete the family of contact lenses. This is how the newest developments have recently occurred.
Many of the newer products are at different development life cycles. Here are a few examples, from major contact lens manufacturers.
- MyDay daily disposable spherical contact lenses were recently launched by CooperVision. I am assuming they will continue to expand this brand of contact lenses.
- ACUVUE OASYS 1-DAY for ASTIGMATISM was recently launched to be paired with the brand’s spherical counterpart, all from J&J Vision Care.
- Alcon recently launched the Dailies Total1 Multifocal, which can be paired with the brand’s spherical counterpart.
- Biotrue ONEday for Presbyopia and Biotrue ONEday for Astigmatism recently launched, completing that family of lenses, from Bausch + Lomb.
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