FDA approves multifocal IOL

Santa Ana, CA

-Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) has received FDA approval for a multifocal IOL (Tecnis) for patients with cataracts.

The lens is designed to offer patients superior near vision and reading speed compared with other presbyopia-correcting IOLs, the company stated. The IOL also allows spectacle independence-almost nine out of 10 patients reported that they do not wear glasses following surgery.

According to the company, other features of the lens include:
• high-quality vision for near, far, and intermediate distances during the day or night;
• a novel pupil-independent, nonapodized, fully diffractive aspheric lens that corrects the two highest-order aberrations: spherical and chromatic; and
• a 95% patient satisfaction rate, which is the highest of any presbyopia-correcting IOL.

“The introduction of the . . . multifocal IOL in the United States rounds out AMO’s portfolio of market-leading, refractive technologies,” said Jim Mazzo, AMO chairman and chief executive officer. “Following years of success in Europe, U.S. surgeons will soon be able to pass the benefits of this technology on to their patients.”

The company said that it plans to ship the IOL to U.S. surgeons early this year.