KERATOCONUS Rose K2 NC Addresses Challenging …...Madrid. He specializes in contact lens fitting,...

Inside... Menicon launchesnew GP lens caresystem andWebStore.p. 2

Menicon’s 60thanniversary.p. 4

Behind the scenesat Menicon:Pierre Monteil.p. 6

September 2011Number 7

Despite the tremendous success of theRose K brand, its inventor, Paul Rose,BOpt, BSc, continues to explore newways to improve what is already themost-prescribed keratoconus lensworldwide. The latest lens in the Rose Kline was specifically designed to addressone of the most challenging cases, thenipple cone.

Nipple cones normally occupy an areaof the central cornea ≤ 5 mm in diame-ter. The steeply curved apex is usuallylocated centrally or paracentrally and isslightly displaced inferonasally. The dif-ference in curvature between the coneapex and the peripheral cornea gener-ates excessive eccentricity, making con-tact lens fitting a challenge.

Nipple cone fittings often demonstratesteep edge lift, which causes discomfortfor patients and usually necessitates ad-justments to the lens to flatten the edgelift. Quantifying how much to flatten theedge lift by looking at a fluorescein pat-tern and other factors that affect the fitcan take years to learn. The Rose K2 NChas certain features designed to improvefitting success, such as:

1) a small, aspheric back optic zone di-ameter, which decreases as the backoptic zone radius decreases

2) substantial peripheral flattening

3) a range of edge lift options to preciselycontrol peripheral fit

4) aberration control optics on the frontsurface of the lens.

Clinical studyLast year, I was one of 12 experiencedkeratoconus specialists who partici-pated in a clinical study of the Rose K2NC lens. Each practitioner received atrial set of 25 lenses in 8.30 mm diame-ter and base curves from 7.40 mm to4.60 mm. As with all Rose K2 trial sets,the Rose K2 NC set includes powerchanges as a function of back opticzone radius to provide refraction asclose as possible to each patient’s ocu-lar refraction.

A total of 120 eyes were fitted during thisstudy. No adverse events or lens stabilityproblems occurred in any case. Themean number of lenses per eye neededto obtain a successful fit was 1.3, repre-senting a first-lens success rate of 86%,

which is consistent with the success ratereported with standard Rose K2 lenses.

Investigators measured the visual qualityof 85 eyes wearing the Rose K2 NC ascompared with the visual quality achievedwith the patients’ habitual lenses. Theyfound 50 eyes wearing the Rose K2 NClens had better visual quality, and 28 eyeshad the same visual quality. Although notrequired in the study protocol, I com-pared the edge lift and lens stability of thestandard Rose K2 versus the Rose K2NC. Both lenses were fitted on the sameeye and had the same back optic zoneradius of 6.9 mm. As Figures 1 and 2show, the Rose K2 NC has the better fitand edge lift.

Eleven of the 13 eye care professionalswho participated in this study expressed

Continued on page 3

KERATOCONUS By Miguel Romero Jiménez, DOO, MSc.

Rose K2 NC Addresses Challenging Nipple ConeHere’s a closer look at the latest product in the Rose K portfolio.

Figure 1. Rose K2 Figure 2. Rose K2 NC

0811_MenNews-7-Q7.qxd:Layout 1 9/28/11 7:21 PM

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Menicon America Inc. recently introduceda new GP lens care system in the UnitedStates. The system features a suite ofwell-known and trusted products withseveral enhancements, a new look, andan innovative selling strategy with addedvalue for practitioners and patients.

Products you know and trustThe Menicon GP Lens Care System in-cludes three well-known and field-tested products:

■ Menicon Unique pH. This is thesame daily cleaning, conditioningand disinfecting solution that hasbeen available from Alcon Laborato-ries Inc. for many years. Meniconand Alcon worked out a deal forMenicon to acquire the Unique pHtrademark and a worldwide licenseto the formulation. Menicon UniquepH is now available in a 4-ounce(120 mL) bottle with a free GP lenscase in each box. “This is the samegreat Unique pH formula that hashad an excellent track record,” saidDavid Moreira, vice president of

marketing, Menicon America Inc. “It is the flagship of the new GP LensCare System.”

■ Menicon Progent. This cleaning so-lution, which has been available in theUnited States for in-office use only,was recently cleared by the Food andDrug Administration (FDA) for use bypatients at home. It is indicated foruse twice a month. The only changeto the system, required by the FDA, isthe addition of a rinsing solution (puri-fied water). “Progent has been avail-able to patients internationally formany years,” Mr. Moreira said. “It is anexcellent cleaner, especially for large-diameter lenses, orthokeratologylenses, and plasma-treated lenses,which require effective but gentlecleaning, so as not to alter the lensparameters or denude the surface.”

■ Menicon Rewetting Drops. Thisproduct, which has been a compo-nent of the MeniCare system asMenicon WRW Drops, is now avail-able in a convenient 10-mL bottle.

All of the products in the Menicon GPLens Care System are safe and effec-tive for all GP lens materials. “This newregimen offers a synergistic approach tomaintaining clean, wettable, comfort-able lenses,” Mr. Moreira said.

Innovative selling strategyTraditionally, eye care practitioners starttheir new contact lens patients with a

PRODUCT NEWS

Menicon Launches New GP Lens Care SystemCompany continues to expand its presence in the GP arena withthis new entry in the U.S. market.

The Menicon GP Lens CareSystem—which includesMenicon Unique pH, Progentand Rewetting Drops—offersa synergistic approach tomaintaining clean, wettable,comfortable lenses.


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Continued from page 1

lens care starter kit, and when patientsneed more solutions, they purchase themonline or at a local retail store. Althoughconvenient for patients, this method ofreplenishing lens care products essen-tially bypasses practitioners, who maynever know if their patients are adheringto the recommended lens care productsor regimen. Menicon is addressing thisissue with a new online service.

In conjunction with the launch of theMenicon GP Lens Care System, thecompany has opened the MeniconWebStore, which provides patients withthe convenience of online ordering,while allowing practitioners to monitor

their patients’ adherence to their lenscare regimens. The WebStore is hostedby the eye care practitioner, whileMenicon handles all ordering processesand product fulfillment.

As Mr. Moreira explained, practitionerswill dispense a Deluxe Care System topatients as a starter kit, which containsa full-size bottle of Menicon Unique pH,a starter-size kit of Menicon Progentand a full-size bottle of Menicon Rewet-ting Drops. Each kit has a unique codethat allows patients to enter the Web-Store, either through the practitioner’swebsite or via a stand-alone landingpage. In addition to registering the pa-

tient on the site, the code also linkseach patient to his or her practitioner,who can track each patient’s lens carepurchasing history. Practitioners alsoearn proceeds from each sale.

According to Mr. Moreira, the MeniconWebStore adheres to the highest stan-dards of online retailing. All transactionsare safe and secure, orders are fulfilledin 48 hours, and there is no extracharge for shipping and handling. Prod-ucts are competitively priced. Practition-ers who prefer to sell lens care productsin their offices can still obtain them fromthe company.

Win-win for patients andpractitionersMenicon’s new lens care system com-bined with its exclusive e-commercecomponent creates an environment thatis beneficial for patients and practition-ers. To learn more, visithttp://store.meniconamerica.com/ecpand click on “Questions?”

Menicon’s WebStore offers value to patients and practitioners.

Rose K2 NC Addresses Challenging Nipple Conestrong interest in continuing to fit theRose K2 NC lens.

Simple, systematic fittingFitting contact lenses for irregular corneascan be a challenging task for any eyecare professional. The Rose K2 family of

lenses allows easy, simple, systematic fit-ting. In fact, following the manufacturer’sfitting guidelines, you can achieve a suc-cessful fit in about 90% of cases.

Miguel Romero-Jiménez studied optics andoptometry at the Complutense University of

Madrid. He specializes in contact lens fitting,particularly for irregular corneas, keratoconusand other corneal ectasias. He is pursuing aPhD at the University of Minho in Braga (Por-tugal) in the field of contact lens fitting for ker-atoconus.

Menicon’s new WebStoreprovides patients with theconvenience of online ordering, while allowingpractitioners to monitortheir patients’ adherence to their care regimens.


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In 1951, Kyoichi Tanaka invented the firstcorneal contact lens in Japan. Today,Menicon, the company Mr. Tanakafounded, is one of the top five contactlens companies in the world. I had thehonor of being hired by Chairman Tanakain 1988, and I have had many opportuni-ties to work directly with him over theyears. I am pleased to share some of thehighlights of Menicon’s history with youon the occasion of the company’s 60thanniversary.

Craftsman and inventorBorn in 1931 in Nagoya, Japan, KyoichiTanaka grew up during War World II. Hewas just a teen-ager when the war endedand his country began recovery efforts.Kyoichi’s first job was as an apprentice ata popular eyeglass shop in Nagoya. Hegained a reputation among his clients,

both Japanese lo-cals and U.S. mili-tary personnelstationed inNagoya, as acraftsman of cus-tom-made eyeglassframes.

In 1950, one of Kyoichi’s clients, the wifeof the commander of the U.S. ArmedForces in Nagoya, told him she had justpurchased a pair of the new contactlenses from America. Kyoichi had heardabout contact lenses being developed inthe United States. When he asked thewoman if he could see her new lenses,she refused, stating how expensive andirreplaceable they were. From that mo-ment, Kyoichi made up his mind to makehis own contact lenses. Within a year, he

had created Japan’s first corneal contactlens from material he developed, lathedand polished himself, often testing themon his own eyes.

From this humble beginning, Menicon’smandate was born: To provide the high-est level of safety for its customers. Theguiding directives that drive the companytoday include taking on new challengesand fostering creativity, which in turn, leadto innovation.

MENICON ANNIVERSARY By Randall Sakamoto, OD, PhD

Marking 60 Years of Contact Lens Manufacturing in JapanHighlights of a rich history.

Kyoichi Tanaka’s dedication to craftsmanship,safety and innovation was well-known amonghis early clients at the eyeglass shop inNagoya, and these qualities endure today inthe company he founded 60 years ago.

Kyoichi Tanaka and theU.S. officer’s wife whowould not show him hernew contact lenses fromthe United States. He de-cided to design his owncontact lenses.

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Mr. Tanaka’s notes resembleDaVinci’s famous notebooks.

At age 20, Kyoichi Tanaka inventedJapan’s first corneal contact lenses.

Mr. Tanaka tested hisearly lens designs on his own eyes.

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Comprehensive product portfolioToday, Menicon remains a fully integratedcompany that encompasses researchand production of soft and GP contactlenses and lens care products. Its flag-ship products include:

• Menicon Z, the world’s most perme-able GP contact lens and the only GPlens to be approved in Europe, Japanand the United States for up to 30 daysof continuous wear

• PremiO and PremiO Toric silicone hy-drogel lenses for 2-week replacement

• Rose K lenses, the world’s most-pre-scribed contact lens designs for kerato-conus and irregular corneas

• Progent, the most effective protein re-mover for GP lenses

The company continues its global expan-sion, most recently acquiring NKL in theNetherlands, David Thomas ContactLenses Ltd. in the United Kingdom, andLagado Corp. in the United States.

Looking toward the futureMenicon’s dedication to research andcustomer safety has led to the develop-ment of two exciting new products. Firstis Flat Pack Technology for daily dispos-able contact lenses. This innovative newpackaging is 2 mm deep compared tothe traditional blister pack, which is 6mm deep. The second is a GP lens forquarterly replacement, which will in-

crease the safety of conventional GPlens wear.

We at Menicon will continue our efforts toprovide the highest level of safety, takingon new challenges to create superiorproducts as our founder and chairmanKyoichi Tanaka did 60 years ago.

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Menicon Europe was established in Paris,France. Shown left to right are: Marie-AngèleSoto, Pierre Monteil and Anne Falcotet.

In 1988, Menicon GmbH was established in Germany.

Menicon acquired Lagado Corporation.Shown left to right: Jonathan Jacobson,Chairman Tanaka, Bill Hoffman, andToshio Matsushima.

Menicon acquired David ThomasContact Lenses Ltd. Shown left toright: William Thomas, ToshioMatsushima.

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To read Chairman Kyoichi Tanaka’s fascinating story online, go to:http://www.menicon.com/corporate/images/stories/pdf/chairmans-biography.pdf


Please tell us about your backgroundand education.I grew up near Paris, and after earningmy secondary-school diploma, I went tolive with my grandparents in Paris. Withgood grades in mathematics andphysics—and influenced by my grandfa-ther, a graduate of the largest technicaluniversity in Italy—I decided to pursue adegree in engineering. I attended ÉcoleSupérieure de Physique et de Chimie In-dustrielles (ESPCI) in Paris, a physics andchemistry engineering college, which is amember of the ParisTech group ofGrandes Écoles. During my engineeringstudies, I spent 6 months in the chemicalengineering department of the Chicago(USA) Institute of Technology. I returnedto France to marry my wife (also anESPCI graduate) and to fulfill my militaryobligation, serving a year in the DefenseScience Department.

How did you become involved inthe optics/eye care industry?My first position was with Essilor. Thecompany was seeking an engineerwith a background in optics andchemistry, a strange mix but mean-ingful for contact lenses. They had aspecific goal: Make a soft multifocalcontact lens that works! I held severalpositions within Essilor, ranging fromproject leader to R&D manager. I wasalso involved in marketing and thereengineering of a US subsidiary. Ihad worked 14 years on these multi-focals when Essilor sold its contactlens business to Ocular Sciences, whichis now part of Coopervision.

What is your current role with Menicon, and what are your immediate and long-term goals?I joined Menicon more than 7 years ago

as part of a European expansion plan. Icould not believe I had been in this indus-try for so many years without really look-ing at the RGP market and its potential!Menicon’s goal is to become a globalleader by providing superior vision to theentire world with a complete and uniqueportfolio of products, ranging from gaspermeable lenses and specialty lenses tosilicone hydrogel soft lenses and dailydisposables. As a privately ownedJapanese company, we tend to prioritizelong-term with a strong culture for inno-vation, which was inherited, so to speak,from our founder.

What is Menicon doing to expand itsexport business?Menicon is looking for long-term partnersthat are willing to promote the same corevalues as Menicon and to help createwhat I would call “Centers of Excellence,”promoting contact lenses in all parts ofthe world. Menicon produces a widerange of new and innovative productsthat should raise the interest of practition-ers as never before.

What are some of these innovativeproducts?Some people say the contact lens indus-try is a mature market, driven by com-modity, which seems to imply there arefew innovations. This is certainly thewrong assessment, as contact lenses are

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PERSONAL PROFILE

Behind the Scenes at MeniconIn this issue, we interview Pierre Monteil, Managing Director, Menicon Holdings Europe.

Mr. Monteil at Nijo castle in Kyoto, Japan.

Pierre Monteil’s CaponataINGREDIENTS:

2 eggplants1 pound zucchini1 pound tomatoes1 white onion3 bell peppers (red, green and yellow forcolor contrast)2 cloves garlic Basil2 tablespoons sugarWhite (balsamic) vinegarSalt, pepper, or better, piment d’Espelette (chilipepper)

PREPARATION

The trick is to have enough patience to prepareall of the vegetables! And to obtain the sweetand sour taste that you like.

Eggplants: Trim both ends (do not peel), cut inhalf and remove most of center part. Dice intocubes (pretty much the size of RGP blanks) andpan fry in olive oil.

Zucchinis: ¼” slices with bevels (!) on bothsides. Pan fry in olive oil.

Bell pepper: Use a gas torch (exercise care) toremove the skin. Then open longitudinally.Remove all white parts inside and make manythin longitudinal slices. Pan fry in olive oil

Onion: Peel, dice and pan fry.

Tomatoes: Blanch, peel, seed and chop.

Stew all ingredients together, add sugar andvinegar, garlic, salt , pepper to your taste. Addbasil. Eat at room temperature.

Wonderful served with a soft boiled egg (approximately 6 min.) on top.


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made from a variety of different materials,all of which behave somewhat differentlyon the eye. The excitement over siliconehydrogel materials is well deserved—afterall, Menicon had the first patent on sili-cone hydrogel—but this is not the onlyoption. Menicon is also introducing newand innovative packaging (see the April2010 issue of Horizons for more on FlatPack Technology). Menicon definitelywants to be a key player in this mass mar-ket segment, but we cannot forget ourhistory and the foundation for Menicon’sreputation.

Another area of innovation lies with thelathing technology, which makes it possi-ble to produce custom 3-D lenses withany choice of suitable material, hydrogel,silicone hydrogel or GP, to best matchthe shape of the cornea. Our sister com-panies, NKL and David Thomas Contact

Lens, manufacture these types of lenseson a large-scale basis.

Please tell us about Easyfit software.Easyfit software, which can be used withalmost any corneal topographer, was de-veloped as a high-tech fitting tool to helppractitioners match the proper contactlens to a patient’s eye, whether it is a sim-ple sphere, a toric, a multifocal, an ortho-keratology lens, or any combination ofthose designs. The software accounts foroverrefraction and sends the lens orderto the manufacturer via e-mail. If the tech-nology allows it, why not make an individ-ual lens for an individual eye?

Easyfit software will enhance practition-ers’ technical skills, making custom fittingalmost effortless, so that they can offer ahigher level of expertise and customerservice in a world where patient retention

becomes more difficult every day. Easyfitis currently available in Germany, Franceand the Netherlands, and will soon be in-troduced in many other markets aroundthe world.

Please tell us about your life outsidethe workplace.My family is my highest priority, and Ienjoy taking an evening break with mythree daughters, ages 18, 11 and 8. (Ican work again afterwards, if necessary!)During summer holidays, we like to go tothe islands to hike and see volcanoes,thanks to my wife’s interest in geo-physics. In the winter, we enjoy skiing inthe Pyrenees. I like to cook occasionally (Itook a few classes because I am not ableto invent here), and my Italian caponatabecame instantly famous, at least withinthe family. (See page 6 for Mr. Monteil’scaponata recipe.)

The Irving Fatt Memorial Lecture of theBritish Contact Lens Association isawarded to a postgraduate in the field ofcontact lenses or anterior eye, who hascompleted a PhD, a postdoctoral degreeor an MSc in the United Kingdom withinthe last 5 years and continued his or herresearch in private practice, hospitalpractice or academia. This year’s lecturewas awarded to Jacinto Santodomingo,PhD, MSc, MCOptom, FBCLA, FAAO,Global Professional Relations Manager,Menicon Co. Ltd.

Dr. Santodomingo, a native of Madrid,Spain, received his BOptom in optics andoptometry from the University Com-plutense of Madrid, Spain. He went on toreceive his MSc from Bradford Universityand his PhD from Aston University in theUK. Dr. Santodomingo joined Menicon in

2005 and currently is the Global Profes-sional Relations Manager, based inMadrid. In his lecture, he discussed re-sults from the Myopia Control With Or-thokeratology Contact Lenses in SpainStudy. (For highlights of this study, seethe May 2011 issue of Horizons).

BCLA President Dr. Shelly Bansal congratulatesDr. Jacinto Santodomingo, who delivered the Irv-ing Fatt Memorial Lecture at the 2011 meeting.

MENICON IN THE NEWS

Dr. Santodomingo Delivers Irving Fatt Memorial LectureBCLA honors Menicon’s Global Professional Relations Manager.

5-8 Brazilian Ophthalmology Conference, Porto Alegre, Brazil8-11 ICCLC, Sydney, Australia9-11 ECLSO, Istanbul, Turkey10 Rose K lecture, Dr. Paul Rose, ECLSO, Istanbul, Turkey21-24 Vision Expo West, Las Vegas, USA23 Rose K lecture, Dr. Paul Rose, Euro Keratocônes, Bordeaux, France

6-9 CLMA, LaJolla, USA12 Rose K lecture, Dr. Paul Rose, AIIMS, New Delhi, India12-15 AAO, Boston USA19 Rose K lecture, Dr. Paul Rose, Jaslok Eye Hospital, Mumbai, India20 Rose K lecture, Dr. Paul Rose, Shroff Eye Hospital, Mumbai India23 GPLI Clinical Symposium, Chicago, USA23 Rose K lecture, Dr. Paul Rose, Colombo, Sri Lanka

23 BCLA Pioneers Lecture, London, UK

26-29 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, Las Vegas, USAJANUARY 2012

c a l e n d a rSEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER


PHOTO GALLERY

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X-Alps Competition 2011SFO Meeting, Paris

Menicon once again sponsored Kaoru Ogisawa in the Red Bull X-Alpscompetition, which tests athletes’ skill and endurance as they paraglide and hike across the Alps from Salzburg, Austria, to Monaco.

Dr. M.B. Mekki and Dr. M.A. Mokhtari at the Menicon booth during the 2011 meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology.

© 2011 Menicon Company Ltd. • To submit an article or request product information, contact Randall Sakamoto, OD, PhD, [email protected] or Donna Vadala at [email protected].

SOBLEC 2011, Curitiba, Brazil

Dr. Fernando M.G. Matos and Juan Céspedes chat during the 2011 meeting of the Brazilian Society of Contact Lenses,Cornea, and Refractometry.

ISCLR Meeting 2011

Dr. Dwight Cavanagh (left), outgoing President of the International Society forContact Lens Research (ISCLR), andToshio Matsushima, Senior Executive Officer of Menicon Company Ltd., at thesociety's biennial meeting held recently in Napa (USA).

Menicon France Symposium, Cannes

More than 200 eye care professionals attended Menicon France’s Symposium in Cannes,France, which featured sessions on contact lens fitting trends by targeted group (children,presbyopes, keratoconus patients) and discussions of orthokeratology and myopia control. New products, such as PremiO Toric, the Keratron Piccolo topographer, EasyFitsoftware and the Rose K2 NC were also showcased.


KERATOCONUS Rose K2 NC Addresses Challenging …...Madrid. He specializes in contact lens fitting,...

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