Parents who are already buying glasses to correct their child’s myopia are already familiar with the pattern of appointments, rechecks to determine whether vision has changed, and the need for new prescriptions.
Now the FDA has approved a product that could help address this, actually slowing the progression of myopia. These glasses, called Essilor Stellest lenses, are shown to reduce the progression of myopia over 2 years significantly.
Now they’re appearing in markets all over the U.S.
What’s Different About These Lenses?
There is already one product on the market for children to slow the progression of myopia, but it’s a contact lens approved only for children ages 8 to 12. Those contacts, called MiSight, are available as a daily disposable.
The Essilor Stellest lenses are approved for use starting at age 6, and they’re glasses, so if your child can’t wear contacts or isn’t quite old enough for the MiSight product, or if daily disposables aren’t your preference, these really expand your options.
The FDA explained why they work:
“The Essilor Stellest eyeglass lenses have a clear 9mm diameter area in the center, which is surrounded by rings of tiny, raised dots (peripheral lenslets) on the rest of the lens. The tiny, raised dots provide peripheral light defocus, which may help to slow the progression of myopia in children.”
The FDA’s Approval Follows Two-Year Clinical Trial
The FDA reports that approval followed the agency’s review of data from a clinical trial comparing the lenses to single-vision lenses over two years of use.
The lenses have been available in some Asian and European countries since 2020.
Some kids reported visual effects, including blurriness and halos, but the clinical trial found no serious adverse effects. Instead, the results showed that changes in the shape of a child’s eye, which can worsen myopia symptoms, were reduced by a significant amount compared with those in children who continued wearing regular lenses.
“Myopia typically progresses in school-aged children when their eyes are still growing, leveling off in early adulthood. Prior to Essilor Stellest eyeglass lenses, there was only one approved device for slowing the progression of myopia in the form of contact lenses, for 8 to 12-year-olds.”
Will Your Insurance Cover Them?
Unfortunately, insurers haven’t yet released any clear policies about coverage for these lenses. Still, according to the Los Angeles Times, the current expectation is that they will likely be covered by most major policies that include vision coverage.
If your child may be a good candidate for these lenses, you’ll want to contact your insurer to ask whether Ellisor Stellest glasses are on their list yet, and, if not, urge them to move forward. Otherwise, be prepared to pay part or all of the cost out of pocket.
At this time, the full retail cost is around $450.