Johnson & Johnson marks IOL milestone anniversary

Johnson & Johnson Vision is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its TECNIS IOL platform.

The milestone commemorates the work of a team of researchers and innovators who created TECNIS, setting in motion two decades of change, in

cluding an aspherical lens and extended depth of focus lens.

To mark the anniversary, Johnson & Johnson Vision is launching the “See More” campaign to educate patients and physicians on what is possible with cataract surgery and how the TECNIS portfolio unlocks greater potential for patients.

Rajesh K. Rajpal, MD, chief medical officer and global head of Clinical and Medical Affairs at Johnson & Johnson Vision, pointed out that ophthalmologists can help restore their patients to 20/20 vision during their cataract procedure by addressing their patient’s vision needs with a presbyopia-correcting IOL, a Toric IOL, or some combination of both.

“But quality vision is about so much more than the ability to see 20/20,” Dr. Rajpal said in a statement. “It is about delivering clarity and contrast regardless of lighting or contrast conditions and sustaining that visual performance for the life of the lens. This month, we are celebrating TECNIS, because of the breakthrough 20 years ago, but also the breakthroughs it continues to enable today.”

Eric Donnenfeld, MD, clinical professor of ophthalmology at New York University, noted that the innovation of the TECNIS platform was a revolutionary advancement in IOL design and composition that changed cataract surgery forever by introducing the concept of quality of vision.

“The TECNIS IOL was the first to employ negative spherical aberration and cancel the positive spherical aberration of the cornea achieving improved visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and reducing chromatic aberration,” he said in a statement. “On behalf of my patients and my practice, congratulations to Johnson & Johnson Vision and TECNIS on 20 years of improving patient outcomes in cataract surgery.”

In addition to the “See More” campaign, Johnson & Johnson Vision is donating $20,000 to the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP)|Cure Blindness in honor of the organization’s dedication to spread cataract awareness

(HCP)|Cure Blindness is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to eradicate preventable blindness in countries across the globe and has screened and treated more than 11.5 million people and performed more than 940,000 surgeries in 20 countries.

Johnson & Johnson Vision will continue to roll out the campaign throughout 2021 by launching a global story search. Stories inside the U.S. about how cataract surgery has enabled patients to “See More” via video, photo or text will be collected at https://www.jjvision.com/tecnis-see-more. Stories outside of the U.S. will be collected in accordance with the local and regional data privacy regulations.

Nikki Sidi, vice president of global strategic marketing, Surgical Vision at Johnson & Johnson Vision, noted that for two decades, the company has dedicated itself to creating breakthroughs in cataract treatment.

“We believe the quality of the lens is only as good as the platform it is built on,” she said in a statement. “That is why TECNIS is both our legacy and our future.”

Sidi noted that in 2021, the company will be expanding access to its IOL portfolio.

“We are excited to celebrate TECNIS’ 20th anniversary this year and continue to offer more lenses to more patients than ever before,” she said.

In 2021, Johnson & Johnson Vision will continue to roll out new TECNIS IOLs across the globe, including TECNIS Synergy IOL, TECNIS Symfony IOL, and TECNIS Eyhance IOL, all available at launch with astigmatism correcting options under the next-generation Toric II platform.

Patients who want to learn more about the TECNIS® portfolio can visit https://www.beyondcataracts.com/

Eric Donnenfeld, MD is a paid consultant of Johnson & Johnson Vision Inc.