Contact lens company, Alcon, has introduced the Precision1 daily disposable contact lenses in both sphere and toric designs, along with a patient support programme.
The Precision1 daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lens aims to meet the key needs of patients while addressing the biggest drivers of new wearer dropout in terms of vision, comfort and handling.
The company suggests the contact lens is designed for existing wearers seeking lasting performance, and for new wearers to “start in and stay in.”
The lenses are the first mainstream contact lenses with Alcon’s proprietary Smartsurface technology; a permanent, micro-thin layer of moisture at the lens surface, which the company suggests helps support a stable tear film to deliver lasting visual performance.
Speaking to OT, Chantelle Cook, vision care franchise head and country manager, Alcon UK & Ireland, explained that the lenses are designed for patients who fit between the company’s Dailies AquaComfort Plus and Total1 products.
“We term them ‘high performance seekers,’ people who really want something that is going to enable them to live their lives to the full, (who are) very active,” Ms Cook described. “They want something better than what they have if they are a current wearer, or if a new wearer, something they can start in and stay in,” she added.
Alongside the reveal of the contact lenses, Alcon has launched a new patient support programme. Utilising augmented reality, the information platform is intended to be “even more immersive,” Jonathon Bench, Alcon head of professional affairs, explained.
The programme targets support for three different groups of patients: those that have never tried contact lenses, those that are trying Precision1 for the first time, and current wearers whose lenses aren’t meeting their needs.
Mr Bench explained that, as well as ensuring the “right information is given to the patient in the right way at the right time,” the programme aims to support the practice team by extending the care provided to the patient when they are at home.
Describing the background of the programme, Ms Cook identified myth-busting and comfort as key focuses, adding that the company considered how to create curiosity by talking to patients online and “encouraging them to engage with the contact lens journey.”
By scanning the contact lens pack or QR code with a smartphone, patients can access an immersive experience which offers support in four key areas. These include a ‘Learning Lab’ and ‘Precision1 lowdown,’ designed for all patients and explaining the science of contact lenses, and videos from experts describing the product.
The application has a ‘Fact not Fiction’ area, designed for patients who are considering contact lenses and featuring videos to dispel myths about contact lenses and overcome fears around trying lenses.
Finally, patients who are trialling the Precision1 lenses can access the ‘Rock your lenses’ section for video support on how to handle contact lenses and answers to questions about contact lens wear. Videos also cover the main mistakes too avoid as a wearer for better trial success.
Alcon launches Precision1
Behind the design
In a virtual launch for the new product, Mr Bench drew a picture of the contact lens market, sharing: “The daily disposable spherical sector is the biggest segment of the UK contact lens market, and therefore, the most important to get right.”
“This segment is expected to contribute more than 85% of total market growth through 2022 and the mid-range silicone hydrogel sector showing the greatest growth,” Mr Bench said. “Although we have seen growth within the daily category, we still see 22% of new contact lens wearers dropout within the first year, and approximately 42% of those discontinue wear within the first three months, and 70% in the first six months,” he added.
An Alcon survey of over 7000 consumers and 1200 eye care practitioners (ECPs) confirmed three core needs; precise vision, dependable comfort, and easy handling, as key to determining the likelihood of a “lifetime wearer.”
Mr Bench added: “It also helped identify a particular patient segment whose needs are not yet fully met by the contact lens portfolio available to them from their ECPs.”
Alcon described this patient as ‘the lasting performance seeker:’ patients who are ambitious, goal-oriented and have long, active days.
“They want their lenses to last all day, provide good comfort and vision all day, and must be easy-to-use,” Mr Bench explained.
The research also indicated that 72% of 15–24 year olds are interested in trying contact lenses and want to start, but fail to stay in lenses, with the survey revealing a desire for extra support in the early months of wear.
Mr Bench said the products would meet the needs of new and existing contact lens wearers and address the root causes of contact lens dropout.
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