Inside... Dr. Paul Rose toursIndia and Sri Lanka.p. 3

Current insights intoepithelial changeswith orthokeratology.p. 4

Behind the scenes atMenicon, profiling Dr. Jennifer Choo.p. 6

January 2012Number 8

Menicon’s new Magic daily disposablecontact lens, the first contact lens inJapan to be made from HEMA-GMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-glycerolmethacrylate) copolymer, was introducedat the company’s new concept shop inTokyo in November. Magic was designedspecifically to take advantage of Meni-con’s proprietary Flat Pack technology, awafer-thin package that is significantlysmaller than conventional packaging forsoft contact lenses.

The Magic Store, a novel marketingconcept for a contact lens productlaunch, is located in the Omotesandodistrict in Tokyo, an exclusive shoppingarea, where flagship shops of global ap-parel brands are located. It is locatedadjacent to the Izumi Ophthalmic Clinic,where practitioners are available tocounsel patients and fit and prescribethe Magic lenses. “We decided to take aunique and bold marketing approach,including the establishment of the Magic

Store in the Tokyo metro area, to posi-tion Magic as a premium daily contactlens and avoid excessive price competi-tion,” said Jun Yamazawa, GeneralManager, Global Brand Strategies De-partment, Office of Corporate Manage-ment & Strategies. “The primaryobjective of the concept store is to en-hance the differentiated product valueby setting up a symbolic real touch pointof the product and propose a new

Continued on page 2

PRODUCT NEWS

Magic Store Showcases New Ultrathin 1-Day Lens in Unique PackagingThe world’s thinnest contact lens packaged in the novel Flat Packoffers a totally new lens-wearing experience.

Menicon Magic displays at Omotesando Metro Station.

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Continued from page 1

Magic Store Showcases New Ultrathin 1-Day Lens in Unique Packaging

lifestyle option to our prospective cus-tomers.”

According to Mr. Yamazawa, consumersresponded quite favorably to the Magiclens and its revolutionary new packag-ing, as well as to the Magic Store.“Many customers commented that the

shop was unique and quite differentfrom ordinary contact lens shops,” hesaid. “In addition, the Magic Store re-ceived quite a bit of attention from thenational media.”

The Magic lens is manufactured atMenicon’s state-of-the-art plant in Sin-

gapore. Made from hioxifilcon A mate-rial, the lens has 57% water content andoxygen transmissibility of 19 x 10–9 in –3.00D power. Base curve is 8.6 mmbase curve; diameter is 14.2 mm; andpowers range from –0.50D to –6.00D.

The Magic Flat Pack sandwiches thecontact lenses lightly but securely be-tween two specially designed foil sheets,in contrast to typical plastic containers in which the lenses float loosely. This enables printing on both sides of thepackage, which is not possible withconventional packaging. Besides ensur-ing easy lens removal, the Flat Pack always exposes the outer surface of thelens first, reducing the likelihood that the patient will touch the inner surface of the lens, thus preventing bacteria or debris from coming into contact with the cornea.

The nationwide launch of the Magic lensin Japan will begin in the spring of 2012.

Toshio Matsushima and Dr. Izumi Namiki at IzumiOphthalmic Clinic adjacent to the Magic Store.

Wall display at Magic Store in Tokyo.Shop window at Magic Store in Tokyo.

To view a video about the

Magic lens, go to

www.youtube.com/user/MeniconMagic.

Global Sales (Lens Type)

USD

(In B

illio

ns)

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

02004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010All Daily Disposables All FRP (except Daily) All Conventional RGP

All FRP (except Daily) All Conventional RGP

� Global penetration of daily disposable contact lenses.

Source: Internal document.

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Interest in Rose K lenses continues togrow worldwide, particularly in India,where there is a high incidence of kerato-conus. Recently, Dr. Paul Rose visited thecountry for the second time to talk toophthalmologists and optometrists abouthow to fit the Rose K range of lenses.

The 2-week tour was sponsored byDavid Thomas Contact Lenses (DTCL), aMenicon group subsidiary company inthe United Kingdom, and organized withthe help of DTCL’s consultant in India,Ms. Jyoti Dave. More than 800 eye carepractitioners attended the seminars andworkshops in conjunction with the fol-lowing major optometry and teaching in-stitutions:

� Post Graduate Institute of Medical Ed-ucation and Research in Chandigarh

� Vision Aids Centre and AIIMS in NewDelhi

� LV Prasad Eye Institute inBhubaneswar

� KPC Medical College in Kolkata� Jaslok Hospital and Shroff’s Eye Hos-

pital in Mumbai� Laxmi Eye Institute in Panvel� Sri Lankan Optometric Association in

Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The seminars were conducted as contin-uing medical education programs. In themorning, Dr. Rose provided backgroundinformation on why the Rose K lens wasinvented and then described the fittingapproach and how to evaluate fluore-scein patterns. In the afternoon, he ledfitting workshops with actual patients. Atnearly all venues, there was a need touse Dr. Rose’s latest design, the Rose Knipple cone. The market clearly hasmany advanced small nipple cones thatare ideal for this design.

DTCL ensures ongoing trainingIn India, keratoconus is usually diag-nosed by ophthalmologists, who refer

patients to optometriststo fit rigid contactlenses. The number ofoptometrists with ade-quate GP fitting skills islow, but there is a hugeappetite to learn andimprove their skills. Forthis reason, the formatof the Rose K seminarsand workshops provedvery popular, as wasdemonstrated by thefull attendance at everyvenue. To ensure thatthis education contin-ues, DTCL has ap-pointed a team ofregional co-educators,experienced Rose K fit-ters, who will train oth-ers to a high level ofconfidence.

“This market is very ex-citing for us,” said Gra-ham Avery, sales andmarketing director ofDTCL. “Dr. Rose isproving to be very pop-ular in India, and it is re-freshing to see youngoptometrists eager toimprove their fitting skillsand offer more to theirpatients. To build on

this momentum, we have appointed ourRose K co-educators to continuepreaching the systematic fitting approachas advocated by Dr. Rose.”

Key to servicing the market in India is topartner with local distributors who under-stand the market and can promote theRose K lenses in conjunction with thelocal co-educators. “We now have fourdistributors in India and one in Sri Lanka,which will allow us to grow the marketwhich, until now, we have only justscratched the surface,” Mr. Avery said.

EDUCATION

Rose K Tour of India and Sri Lanka 2011Eye care practitioners received didactic and hands-on training in fitting Rose K lenses from Dr. Paul Rose.

Dr Paul Rose presenting a Rose K trial set to Dr. Darshini Desai in appreciation of her work organizing the workshop.

Dr. Paul Rose lecturing during his series of workshops in India.

Dr. Paul Rose (left) at Shroff Eye Hospital in Mumbai after his presentation andworkshop in October 2011. Also shown left to right: Dr. Jennifer Choo, Dr.Darshini Desai, head optometrist, Gangar Opticians, Ms. Jyoti Dave, Rose K leadco-educator, Devang Dadia, Rose K distributor for Mumbai region, Dr. Isha Dave,local optometrist, and Graham Avery.

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Over the last 10 years, orthokeratologyhas evolved from a relatively tabootopic to a respectable and viable optionfor vision correction. As its potential linkto myopia control continues to be ex-plored, more practitioners are turningto the modality as an option for theirpatients.

New orthokeratology practitioners oftenask: “How does it work? What are wedoing to the corneal tissue?” This topichas been explored by esteemed re-searchers from around the world from aclinical and a basic scientific perspec-tive. It is clear from topographic datathat the anterior surface of the corneais modified during the procedure (Fig-ure 1), but investigations into the rela-tive contributions of the various layersof the cornea to these changes haveyielded conflicting results. The generalconsensus is that the technique modu-lates the corneal thickness, with mostof the early changes attributed to ep-ithelial thickness modulation.

Epithelial changesThe epithelium is the outermostlayer of the cornea and perhaps themost malleable and dynamic. Nor-mally, the thickness of the epitheliumis quite uniform, and the shape ofthe cells is regular (Figure 2). Be-cause of its proximity to the lens onthe eye, the epithelium is the mostsusceptible to the pressures of theorthokeratology procedure. In gen-eral, with myopic orthokeratology,most clinical and histological studiesshow a decrease in central epithelialthickness with a simultaneous in-crease in the midperipheral epithelialthickness (Figure 3). The locations ofthese changes correspond well tothe different “zones” of an orthoker-atology lens and resultant treatmentpattern.

Although hyperopic orthokeratology isnot as popular, given the opposite lensdesign, one would expect to see theopposite type of epithelial changes withthis procedure. Attempts to steepenthe central cornea result in thickeningof the central epithelium and relativethinning in the midperipheral epithelium(Figure 4). This confirms the ability ofthe epithelium to respond to differentpressures and demonstrates the de-sign-dependent nature of these epithe-lial changes.

ReversibilityClinical and histological studies haveshown that the epithelial changes in-duced by orthokeratology are re-versible. That is, when treatment isstopped, the epithelium slowly returnsto its original configuration. Whetherthe cells revert to their previous shapesor we are seeing the result of naturalcell turnover is unknown at this point,but the cornea and specifically the ep-

ithelium has an innate shape and thick-ness profile programmed into it.

Stromal changes?Many practitioners also inquire aboutthe contribution of the corneal stromato the changes observed with this pro-cedure. Given the incredible amount ofcommunication between the epitheliumand the stromal layers, it would not besurprising that a change in the stromalthickness and perhaps its organizationor composition may occur. Preliminarywork suggests the stroma is involved inlonger-term corneal changes, but theactual contribution of the stroma is stillunclear.

Viable treatmentOrthokeratology is a modality that ishere to stay. As more practitionersbegin fitting these lenses, understand-ing the basic science behind the proce-dure becomes important for properpatient education.

SCIENCE BEHIND ORTHO-K By Jennifer Choo, OD, PhD

Current Insights Into EpithelialChanges With OrthokeratologyOngoing studies explore treatment effects.

Figure 1. Topography clearly shows that the anterior surface of the cornea is modified during orthokeratology.

Cour

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Dr. R

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Above: On September 22, 2011, Menicon officially opened Sono-Optica in Madrid, Spain. This is the com-pany’s first retail facility outside Japan. Through this retail shop, Menicon will be able to get closer to pa-tients to better understand their visual and hearing aid needs, leading to the development of newproducts and technologies.

Above right: Mr. Toshio Matsushima (center), Senior Executive Officer, Menicon Company Ltd., Dr. JacintoSantodomingo (Jr) (right), Menicon Global Professional Relations Manager, and Mr. Jacinto Santodomingo(Sr) (left) cut the ribbon to officially open the shop.

Right: Mr. Matsushima gives the opening speech. Sono-Optica is located in the upscale neighborhood ofBarrio de Salamanca.

Figure 2: Control epithelium; central and midperipheral cat corneal epithelium showing uniformity of epithelial thickness and structure.

Figure 3: Central and midperipheral cat corneal epithelium after 8 hours of continuous wear of an orthokeratology lens showing central thin-ning and midperipheral thickening.

Figure 4: Central and midperipheral cat corneal epithelium after 14 days of continuous wear of an orthokeratology lens for the correction ofhyperopia.

Choo JD, Caroline PJ, Harlin DD, Papas EB, Holden BA. Morphologic changes in cat epithelium followingcontinuous wear of orthokeratology lenses: a pilot study. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2008;31:29-37.

Sono-Optica Opens in Madrid

Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure 4

Cour

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: Sak

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Dr. R

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Sak

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Courtesy: Dr. Jennifer Choo

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Please tell us about your backgroundand education.I was born and raised in Vancouver,Canada. I completed my bachelor’s de-gree in cell biology and genetics at theUniversity of British Columbia in Vancou-ver. I was particularly interested in forensicgenetics, but I also had a great interest inhealth care, and I eventually decided topursue a career in optometry. I attendedPacific University College of Optometry inForest Grove, Ore.

Upon completing my OD degree, I ac-cepted an opportunity to develop somenew technology with Brien Holden and histeam at the BrienHolden Vision In-stitute. Immedi-ately upongraduating fromPacific, I movedto Sydney, Aus-tralia, to com-mence my PhDon the topic of or-thokeratologywith Dr Holden assupervisor.

I completed my PhD in 2008 andwas asked to stay in Australia tolead one of Dr. Holden’s key surgi-cal projects. That project wrappedup in 2011, and I decided to refo-cus on optometry once again, par-ticularly specialty contact lenses.

What sparked your interest invision and eye care? Why didyou decide to pursue a career in optometry?Optometry was a great choice for me.What better gift to give than the gift ofsight? As is the case with many op-tometrists, I am a myope. I fully under-stand what it is like to be visuallydisadvantaged without any correction. Assuch, I knew what impact I could have onpeople’s lives as an optometrist and how

rewarding that could be. It is one of thebest decisions I could have ever made.

Why did you decide to join Menicon?What drew me to Menicon was the qualityand diversity of its product line, the team ithad assembled and its commitment to

grow internationally. I had always felt greatsupport from people within the companyduring and also after I had completed myPhD. The choice to join the company feltvery natural for me.

What are your research interests andgoals?I have a strong research interest in ortho-keratology, particularly in the biology of

ortho-k and how changes to the cornealtissue affect its ability to defend againstmicrobial infection. I became interested inthis topic while in optometry school. Asmy first degree was in cell biology, I wasconcerned that we did not fully under-stand what we were doing to the corneal

tissue on a cellular level withortho-k. I was not comfortable fit-ting these lenses on patients untilI had a better understanding ofthe potential cellular changes toensure that I was not doing harm.Patient care and safety are mynumber one concerns.

What is your current role withMenicon? Please discuss your

immediate andlong-termgoals in thisposition.I am very fortu-nate that I canstay in the spe-cialty contactlens field in mynew role withMenicon. Cur-rently, as Man-ager of GlobalSpecialty

Lenses, I have been given the opportu-nity to help manage and grow our spe-cialty lens portfolio. My immediatefocus is on our Rose K business, butthis will expand to other products as Ibecome better acquainted with ouroverall business.

Please tell us about your life outsidethe workplace.I have an immense curiosity about theworld. When not working, I love visitingnew cultures and sampling different ethniccuisines. I also have a very strong familylife. I recently moved back to Vancouver,having been away for 10 years, so when Iam not travelling, I enjoy spending time athome with family and friends.

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PERSONAL PROFILE

Behind the Scenes at MeniconIn this issue, we interview Jennifer Choo, OD, PhD, Manager,Global Specialty Lens Business & Clinical Affairs.

An avid traveler, who enjoys experiencing different cultures, Dr. Choo has explored Europe,Asia, South America and Africa.Her adventures include (clockwisefrom top) hiking Machu Picchu inPeru, visiting the Taj Mahal in India,skydiving in New Zealand and visiting Kinkaku-ji, the Temple ofthe Golden Pavilion in Japan.

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As a result of an exclusive partnershipwith Eye Shelter SA, a wholly ownedsubsidiary of Laboratoires Théa in France,Menicon will begin marketing SOLO-care® contact lens solutions in memberstates of the European Economic Areaand Canada. The agreement enablesMenicon to strengthen its internationalpresence by establishing new affiliates incountries where its products have notbeen available. It will also reinforce Meni-con’s overall activities in the soft lens caremarket. Upon completion of the expan-sion, Menicon will have more than 70sales professionals dedicated to the con-tact lens business in Europe.

As the details of the partnership are beingfinalized, we asked Pierre Monteil, Manag-ing Director, Menicon Holdings Europe,what this new relationship means to thecompany and its customers.

Why did Menicon license the SOLO-care® products from Eye Shelter?SOLO-care® is a well-known brand that istrusted by thousands of practitioners andmillions of consumers. For Menicon, withits strong heritage in technology, cus-tomization and safety, this global brandoffers a unique opportunity to embrace anew challenge: entering the soft lens andlens care market worldwide.

How does this product line fit intoMenicon’s strategy?Menicon’s goal is to expand its globalbusiness through its traditional productsand an expanding portfolio of soft lensand lens care products. The SOLO-care®

brand gives us immediate access tomany practitioners in Europe andCanada who may not be familiar withMenicon.

What further synergies will Menicondevelop to take advantage of theSOLO-care® portfolio?Daily and monthly disposable soft lensesrepresent our future expansion. SOLO-

care® will provide many opportunities toopen new distribution channels for theseproducts.

Will Menicon take over production ofthese products?For the time being, Ciba Vision will con-tinue to manufacture SOLO-care®.

How will Menicon distribute theSOLO-care® products in territorieswhere it does not have subsidiaries?Our licensing agreement gives us the op-portunity to sell products in 29 countries.Where it is warranted, we will open newsubsidiaries and commercial offices. Oth-erwise, we will work through appointeddistributors. We are also bringing onboard the talent to recruit and organizethe needed expertise. For example, Mr.

Thierry Frediani will lead these new opera-tions with marketing support from Ms. Esther Da Silva (see below).

What are the benefits of the SOLO-care® products to patients?SOLO-care® has a proven track record asone of the safest and most convenientsoft lens multipurpose solutions. One of itsunique features is the MICROBLOCK®

antibacterial lens case.

Will SOLO-care® be featured as acompanion product for Menicon PremiO? Indeed, bundling lenses and care solutions may be a strong consumerstrategy as millions of consumers arealready buying lenses and lens careproducts together.

GLOBAL EXPANSION

Menicon and Eye Shelter Partner to Expand SOLO-care® AvailabilityOpening new distribution channels in Europe.

26-28 CLAO Symposium and Congress, Las Vegas, USA26-29 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, Las Vegas, USA

17-19 Heart of America Contact Lens Society, Kansas City (Mo), USA24-26 Specialty Contact Lens Symposium, San Diego, USA29-March 4 SECO International, Atlanta, USA

11-12 NCC 2012 Dutch Contact Lens Congress, Veldhoven, Netherlands22-25 International Vision Expo East, New York, USA30-31 Asia Orthokeratology and Specialty Lens Conference,

Hangzhou, China

25-28 CLSA, Newport Beach, USA

24-27 BCLA, Birmingham, UK

APRIL

c a l e n d a rJANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

MAY

Mr. Thierry Frediani has more than20 years’ experience in the eyecare industry. He held various positions with Bausch + Lomb, including general manager for various countries in Europe. His

key duties included managing channels of dis-tribution for the company’s pharmaceutical,surgical and vision care divisions in Europe.Most recently, he was a consultant to Labora-toires Théa, parent company of Eye Shelter SA.

Ms. Esther da Silva has 16 years ofinternational experience in lens andlens care management, all gainedat Bausch + Lomb. She worked atthe company’s Rochester, NY,head office, as well as in Latin

America and, for 11 years, in Europe, ultimatelyas Vice President Vision Care, EMEA. Prior toBausch + Lomb, Ms. da Silva worked in mar-keting research at leading advertising agenciesin New York City. She holds an MBA from theTuck School at Dartmouth.

Eye Care Veterans to Spearhead Distribution Channel Expansion

SOLO-care® and MICROBLOCK® are registered trademarks of Novartis AG used under license by Eye Shelter SA.

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PHOTO GALLERY

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© 2012 Menicon Company Ltd. • To submit an article or request product information, contact Randall Sakamoto, OD, PhD, drsakamoto@menicon.com or Donna Vadala at Donna_Vadala@Menicon.com.

The Menicon trademark adornsthe center stage.

Chairman Tanaka opened the galaparty commemorating 60 years ofthe company he founded.

The breakthroughMenicon Magicdaily disposablecontact lens wasshown for the first time duringthe anniversarycelebration.

(Left to right) Dr. Randy Sakamoto, Prof. Dwight Cavanagh, Dr. Hidenari Tanaka and Ms. Motomi Hibinowere among the guests at the Gala Party.

Dr. Hidenari Tanaka presented the “State of Menicon”address and the company's goals for the future.

The Gala Party included a buffet dinner of Japaneseand other international cuisines.

Japanese playwright Mr. Toshiya Hibiki presents flowers to Chairman and founderKyoichi Tanaka.

On October 22, 2011, Menicon celebratedits 60th anniversary in its home city ofNagoya, Japan. About 600 guests, includ-ing business partners, attended the event,which was held at the Nagoya CastleHotel. One of the highlights of the eventwas the “State of Menicon” address byMenicon’s President Dr. Hidenari Tanaka.Despite the recent global economic down-turns, he noted Menicon posted recordsales worldwide. In addition, great strides

have been made in the internationalizationof Menicon. Mergers and acquisitionshave aided in the growth of the company’sproduct line and have increased the num-ber of quality Menicon employees. Meni-con remains one of the top fiveinternational contact lens companies. It isunique in that it is the only one that is notheadquartered in the United States.

The company’s 60th anniversary coin-cided with the launch of Menicon Magic,the daily disposable contact lens featuringthe 1-mm thin flat packaging.

Menicon has set the stage for continuedgrowth and economic success throughthe development of innovative products inthe contact lens, lens care and related in-dustries.

CORPORATE MILESTONE

Menicon Celebrates Its 60th AnniversaryGala event caps a year of celebration.

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