Aichi Medical University
Menicon Co., Ltd.
Aichi Medical University (Nagakute-shi, Aichi; President: Gen Sobue) and Menicon Co., Ltd. (head office: 3-21-19 Aoi, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi; President and CEO: Hidenari Tanaka) announced the establishment of the industry-academia collaboration, “Endowed Course on Suppression of Myopia Control,” at Aichi Medical University in April 2022. This course promotes research on “myopia,” a global health issue of growing interest.
Background of the establishment of this endowed course
The number of people with myopia is increasing not only in Japan, but also worldwide. By 2050, it is estimated that approximately 50% of the world’s population may develop myopia, and approximately 10% may develop severe myopia. East Asian countries have a high rate of myopia, reportedly exceeding 90% in some regions. Severe myopia damages the retina and optic nerves, leading to blindness. The adoption of measures against myopia control is an important issue from the perspective of reducing the risk of eye diseases and medical expenses in the future. Therefore, there are expectations for further research advancement in this area.
This endowed course aims to elucidate the mechanism of control and suppression of myopia in children and to conduct basic research on contact lenses with novel myopia-suppression functions.
Outline of the endowed course on suppression of myopia control
• Period: April 2022 to March 2027
• Research base: Aichi Medical University Eye Center MiRAI, Higashi-ku, Nagoya (open since July 2022).
• Representative: Professor Atsuya Miki (specially appointed)
This endowed course has been established to promote research and development on the suppression of myopia control, through the integration of Aichi Medical University’s medical knowledge on eye diseases with advanced technologies and ideas owned by Menicon, in a sophisticated manner.
Aichi Medical University actively provides state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment for severe eye diseases associated with myopia, such as retinal diseases and glaucoma. Aichi Medical University Eye Center MiRAI has been opened in Nagoya to provide advanced medical care to patients in similar circumstances. Further efforts will be made to overcome myopia through research on the suppression of myopia progression and the treatment of severe diseases associated with myopia.
Menicon markets the Menicon Bloom Night, the first CE Mark orthokeratology lenses for the control of myopia, via a local subsidiary in the Netherlands. Additionally, Visioneering Technologies, Inc. have been provided with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) daily disposable soft contact lenses that have obtained the CE Mark for the correction of myopia and control of myopia progression. They have been marketing the product as Menicon Bloom Day. We are deploying a comprehensive myopia control suppression system called Menicon Bloom, along with the products mentioned above, in seven countries: the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Australia, and Singapore.
Contact information
Aichi Medical University
Eye Center MiRAI Office
2-12-1 Higashi-sakura, Higashi-ku, and Nagoya-shi, 461-0005
TEL: 052-931-2261
FAX: 052-931-4841
Menicon Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Department
21-19, Aoi 3, Naka-ku, Nagoya 460-0006 Japan
Tel : +81-(0)52-935-1515 Fax : +81-(0)52-935-0121
Email : presscontact@menicon.co.jp