GlobalCONTACT
ISSUE 01/2026
Overview
Technology: Contact Lens Drug Delivery // 6 Vision Trends // Manufacturing: True Excellence // Fitting Background: DEEP Thoughts on Soft Lens Fitting // The Potential of Scleral Lenses // Business & Marketing: The Courage to Raise Prices
NEWS
New consumer and professional research
Contact Lens Institute™ (CLI) and the United Opticians Association (UOA) today announced new consumer and professional research that illustrates opticians’ vital roles in optimizing contact lens experiences, including high levels of patient trust. Opticians themselves report having multiple contact lens-related responsibilities, yet also desire additional involvement and education. The findings are now available as a…
Contamac received FDA premarket approval of Optimum Infinite material
Contamac announces FDA Premarket approval (PMA) of Optimum Infinite (tisilfocon A) material for use in orthokeratology overnight wear. Contamac, a global leader in specialty contact lens and intraocular lens materials today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Premarket approval for the Optimum Infinite (tisilfocon A) Orthokeratology Lenses II. Outside the USA, this approval in…
BostonSight wants to redefine ocular surface treatment
In February, BostonSight announced a transformative 5-year strategic roadmap aimed at redefining ocular surface treatment through groundbreaking advancements in clinical research, education, and specialty lens technology. The organization has designated key leadership roles to lead initiatives that accelerate innovation and collaboration, with the goal of positively impacting patient lives around the world. Dr. Karen Carrasquillo,…
Alcon reports 7% CL sales uptick in Q4
Alcon reported $683 million in contact lens sales for Q4 2025, a 7 percent year-on-year increase driven by new product launches and price increases, particularly in North America. Price resistance was stronger elsewhere: “If you look at the European market, you have got a lot of big chains who basically are telling us they are…
Specialty Contact Lens Travel Grants by Art Optical
Art Optical Contact Lens, Inc., a provider of custom contact lenses, in partnership with Contamac, a manufacturer of contact and intraocular lens materials, recently named the winners of their Specialty Contact Lens Travel Grants. According to the announcement, these individuals have demonstrated the use of Art Optical lens designs to solve patient needs in unique…
ARTICLES
The corneal lens
Even though the contact lens is barely 150 years old, the history of its development is almost forgotten. It began with the attempt to cover irregularities in the corneal contour using a hemispherical glass disc and to mask them with the help of tear fluid.
The potential of scleral lenses
Irregular corneal shapes have always posed particular challenges for contact lens fitters. Keratoconus, pellucid marginal corneal degeneration, postoperative scarring and corneal steps following penetrating keratoplasty or refractive surgery, as well as scarring following trauma, can significantly impair the optical quality of the corneal surface.
Contact lens drug delivery
Contact lenses (CLs) have evolved from simple refractive devices into sophisticated biomedical platforms capable of a wide variety of functions, including diagnosing systemic and ocular disease, monitoring physiology, being used for a number of advanced optical functions and, the purpose of this review, delivering topical ophthalmic drugs.
True excellence
Excellence in contact lens manufacturing is driven by leadership, culture and a constant willingness to improve. Inspired by observations from elite sports and international industry meetings such as the Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS), this article explores what distinguishes highly efficient laboratories from average performers.
DEEP thoughts on soft lens fitting
What an incredible vibe at the Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) 2026 at Paris in Las Vegas earlier this year. The energy and enthusiasm were truly of a higher order, with a strong focus on the application of higher-order aberrations in specialty lenses – going well beyond correction alone.
20 years of JenVis Research
International conference for optometry and vision science The Jena Vision Conference, held from 31 October to 2 November 2025, marked the 20th anniversary of the Jena Vision Research Institute. Over 300 guests, 25 speakers from 6 countries came together to discuss current developments in optometry and vision science – and to look back on two…
LETTER
Employee, where are you?
Are you having trouble finding employees? And to keep them? There’s a specter haunting the EU – and unfortunately, it’s very real: The shortage of skilled workers. And it’s particularly noticeable in some EU countries. That’s because demographic change is in full swing here – and often more advanced than in other regions of the world.
