Menicon acquires Flat-Pack Technology

Menicon Co., Ltd. acquires flat pack technology, including all intellectual properties and other related assets, from 1-800CONTACTS and ClearLab International. The agreement was executed between Menicon and 1-800CONTACTS/ClearLab International on 24 May and all transactions were completed by 15 June.

Menicon entered into a license agreement with 1-800CONTACTS in December 2004, which allowed Menicon to become the exclusive licensee of this technology in Japan, the second largest contact lens market in the world after the USA. However, with this new acquisition agreement Menicon has become the sole owner of the flat pack technology on the global basis allowing the company to commercialize the technology as flat pack daily disposable contact lenses and to license the technology to other manufacturers. Following this acquisition, the former ClearLab R&D team headed by Mr. Steve Newman joined Menicon, effective as of 15 June.
 
“Menicon was the right party to own and exploit the flat pack technology”, commented Jonathan Coon, CEO of 1-800CONTACTS.

“The flat pack technology will play a vital role in truly globalizing the company”, said Dr Hidenari Tanaka, President of Menicon Co., Ltd.

Menicon will manufacture the Flat Pack daily disposable lens in Singapore to export to the global markets. 

Menicon signs joint venture agreement with Wenzhou Medical College in China

Menicon Co., Ltd. announces an equity participation agreement effective as of 9 June 2007 with the Vision Science Research & Development Institute of Wenzhou Medical College, located in Wenzhou City, Zheng Jiang Province, China.
 
This joint venture’s main activities will be manufacturing, wholesale and retail sales of rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGP) for the growing Chinese market. Menicon will transfer necessary technologies and equipment for the joint venture to be operational in August 2007.
 
This new joint venture arrangement will support contact lens education and research such as the Chinese myopia control national study, and provide additional high quality product options and technical assistance to Chinese contact lens fitters. As one of the first activities of the joint venture, Menicon is planning to donate the hyper-DK GP lens “Menicon Z” as a charity for 600 children in the region.
 
Dr. Hidenari Tanaka, Menicon’s president, commented: “We are excited about exploring this new business opportunity through the joint venture arrangement with Wenzhou Medical College to broaden the RGP market in China.”

Menicon partners with UltraVision CLPL for UK & Ireland

Menicon Co., Ltd. partners with UltraVision CLPL in the UK and Ireland on the exclusive distribution of Menicon PremiO, the company’s new advanced silicone hydrogel contact lens. All other Menicon products for the UK and Ireland will continue to be directly managed by Menicon UK.

“The international launch of Menicon PremiO is a major milestone in Menicon’s history. We’re delighted to partner with UltraVision CLPL to leverage significant positioning, strengths and infrastructure to maximise the success of Menicon PremiO in the UK & Ireland, major territories for advanced silicone hydrogel contact lenses”, said Mr. Toshio Matsushima, Executive Officer and General Manager of Menicon Co., Ltd., and President of Menicon Holdings Europe.

Mr. J Keith Lomas, Group President & CEO of UltraVision CLPL, commented “We are very excited about bringing Menicon PremiO silicone hydrogel lenses to the market. We look forward to introducing this world class lens to practitioners”.

Commenting on the commercial opportunity, Mr. Nick Loan, Managing Director of UltraVision said “Over recent years, the UK and Irish markets have become dominated by a small number of large US-based companies and I am confident that the introduction of a new competitor, especially a major global player such as Menicon, supported by UltraVision, a trusted name in UK optics, will be very well received by discerning Practitioners"

Menicon PremiO with MeniSilk™ & Nanogloss™ technologies feature a well balanced combination of oxygen permeability (129 x 10^-9 mLO2sec^-1 mL^-1mmHg^-1) and water content (40%). The MeniSilk™ & Nanogloss™ technologies ensure highly controlled smooth surface reproducibility together with excellent wettability and moisture retention. The lens is approved for daily wear and up to seven days extended wear on a 2 week replacement schedule.

The official world launch of Menicon PremiO will take place on 1st June 2007 in Manchester, UK, coinciding with the British Contact Lens Association Conference.

Menicon launches Menicon PremiO, the company’s new advanced silicone hydrogel contact lens

Menicon Co., Ltd. announces the launch of Menicon PremiO, the company’s new advanced silicone hydrogel contact lens. Since the world’s first silicone hydrogel contact lens material patent was granted to Menicon in 1979, the company’s R&D has carried out extensive work to develop possibly the world’s best silicone hydrogel contact lens: Menicon PremiO with MeniSilk™ & Nanogloss™ technology.

The lens features a well balanced combination of oxygen permeability (129 x 10^-9 mLO2sec^-1 mL^-1mmHg ^-1) and water content (40%). The MeniSilk™ & Nanogloss™ technology ensures highly controlled smooth surface reproducibility together with excellent wettability and remarkable moisture.

Menicon obtained CE mark on the new Menicon PremiO lens for daily wear and up to seven days extended wear on a 2 weeks replacement schedule.
 
The world’s official launch of Menicon PremiO will take place on 1 June 2007 in Manchester, UK, coinciding with the British Contact Lens Association Conference.

MENICON launches Menigame: a web site-based contact lens educational game for children

Menicon Co., Ltd., the world’s largest GP manufacturer, announced the launch of Menigame www.menigame.com, the first web site-based contact lens educational platform for children 6-12 years of age.

Menigame, which was developed with the help of highly qualified psicopedagogists specialized on children needs, educate children and parents about the need for regular eyecare examinations and principles of contact lens use through five carefully structured short and dynamic videos. The chapters’ dialogues are subtitled to facilitate their understanding by handicap children.
 
Menigame also has four interactive games for children to learn, while they play, keys aspects of successful contact lens wear. With this game, kids and early teens can have a great fun while learning about contact lenses.

Menigame is currently available in English and French, but it will be available in other languages soon. Following the recent launch of the Menicon Z Junior, a novel concept of GP contact lens wear for children, Menicon is increasing safe and successful long-term Hyper-Dk Menicon Z GP contact wear in children.

Menicon launches Menifocal™ Z, a concentric bifocal GP lens, in the U.S

Menicon America, Inc. announced the launch of its Menifocal™ Z in the U.S. though Lens Dynamics, Inc., effective as of 7 December 2006. This patented GP concentric bifocal lens design features distance-center/peripheral-near front surface optics for excellent vision at all distances.

The unique front surface distance-near transition zone has been carefully designed to eliminate ghost images. The spherical base curve makes the lens easy to fit and comfortable, and allows the correction of small to moderate astigmatisms without inducing corneal moulding. Research studies have shown that Menifocal™ Z, manufactured in hyper-Dk Menicon Z material, can be safely worn for daily wear or up to 30 days of continuous wear. 

The Menifocal™ Z is available through Lens Dynamics Inc. or its distributors in the U.S. For inquiries, please contact Lens Dynamics, Inc. at 1-(800)228-2691 or Kaz Murakami, President, Menicon America Inc. at kazmurakami@menicon.com.

New MeniCare™ lens care system for GP lenses in the US

Menicon America, Inc. has recently launched the new MeniCare™GP lens care system for GP lenses in the U.S., replacing CLARIS® products. The MeniCare™GP lens care system is especially recommended for hyper Dk GP lenses or plasma-treated GP lenses such as Menicon Z TM material lenses.

The MeniCare™ GP lens care system consists of two solutions: the MeniCare™ GP Cleaning, Disinfecting and Storage (CDS) solution, available in a 4 oz. container, and the MeniCare™GP Wetting and Rewetting Drop (WRW), available in a 1 oz. container.


The CDS solution must be fully rinsed from the lenses before using the wetting drop. Both MeniCare™ GP solutions are preserved with benzyl alcohol which ensures effective lens cleaning and wettability for safe and comfortable GP lens wear. MeniCare™ GP solutions do not contain potentially cytotoxic preservative components such as polyquad, thimerosal, chlorhexidine, BAK, or polyaminopropyl biguanide to prevent toxic or sensitivity reactions.

MeniCare™GP lens care solutions are now available to GP patients through eye care professionals or Menicon Authorized Labs’ Direct Patient Order program. Free Starter Kits of MeniCare™GP are also available to eye care professionals through Menicon Laboratories. The MeniCare™GP Starter Kit includes MeniCare™  GP CDS 1 oz., MeniCare™ GP WRW 0.33 oz., and a sample of the popular Menicon cylinder-shaped lens case for GP lenses.


For more information regarding MeniCare™GP, eye care professionals may ask their Menicon labs or contact Menicon at 1-800-MENICON (636-4266).

MeniconTinue: the first contact lens approved for up to 30 days of continuous wear in Japan

Menicon Co., Ltd., the world’s largest GP manufacturer, received Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approval for up to 30 days of continuous wear of its MeniconTinue GP contact lens, effective as of 25 October 2006.

MeniconTinue contact lenses are manufactured in tisilfocon A material, which is commercially known as Menicon Z outside Japan. Tisilfocon A has the highest oxygen permeability of all commercially available GP contact lens materials (163 Dk following ISO 9913-1).

This is the first time in the history of Japan that approval for up to 30 days of continuous wear of contact lenses has been granted for normal eyes, whereas such approval has already been widely given to other contact lenses in the USA and Europe.

Menicon obtained CE marking and FDA approval for up to 30 days of continuous wear for its Menicon Z lenses in January 2001 and July 2002, respectively. With this new approval, Menicon intends to launch this product as Japan's first ever 30 days continuous wear contact lens early next year.

MENICON Launches a Professional Website

Menicon Co., Ltd., the world’s largest GP manufacturer, announced the launch of its new Professional Website http://professional.menicon.com Following the launch of Menicon’s new end-user website last year www.menicon.com, the new broadband Professional Website provides eye care practitioners with the ability to obtain product information, technical assistance, and company news. It also offers a source for the search of contact lens-related images, scientific articles, internet links, and industry events. A learning centre consisting of contact lens courses will be included in this site shortly.

MENICON opens a new office in Madrid

Menicon Co., Ltd., following expansion plans and to provide better service to consumers in Spain, announced the opening of a new office in Madrid which will provide support in all areas of operations including logistics, strategy, marketing, professional services, and sells to the Spanish subsidiary, effective as 1 September 2006. Dr Jacinto Santodomingo, Global Professional Services for Menicon Co., Ltd, has been appointed as the new Manager for this office, while he maintains his position and responsibilities with Menicon Co., Ltd.

With the recent announcement of the long-term strategic alliance between Menicon and NKL, the world and Dutch’s largest GP manufacturers, respectively, the office in Madrid will play a very important role in the introduction of 12 new lens designs of GP lenses from NKL in Menicon Z material, the world’s only Hyper DK GP approved by the FDA for up to 30 days continuous wear, in the Spanish market over the next few months.

Menicon & Toyota Develop Advanced Composting Process

Menicon Co., Ltd., Japan’s largest manufacturer of contact lenses, and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced joint development of an efficient and environmentally-friendly manure composting process for the livestock industry called “resQ45”. The new process uses a new enzymatic agent and a thermophilic bacteria created based on Menicon’s degradation enzymes and microorganisms. Ingredients used in the process will be manufactured and sold by Toyota Roof Garden Co., Ltd., a TMC subsidiary. Sales to limited areas will begin on July 1 through the livestock feed sales channels of Toyota Tsusho Corporation (Toyota Tsusho).

Eighty-nine million tons of livestock manure are produced annually in Japan. “resQ45” will help reduce the burden on livestock farmers, who, under the Law Concerning the Appropriate Treatment and Promotion of the Utilization of Livestock Manure, which went into full effect in November 2004, are prohibited from leaving livestock manure in open-air mounds or within insufficiently lined pits.

Initially, the “resQ45” will be marketed to cattle farmers, with sales expected to be 1 billion yen after three years. Sales after five years are estimated at 2 billion yen, once “resQ45” has been adapted for use by pig and poultry farmers.

Menicon, TMC and Toyota Tsusho share the belief that positioning the “resQ45” manure composting process as a new environmental business will contribute to the reduction of global warming and farmland improvement, and to the realization of a resource-recycling-oriented society.

This is one of Menicon’s activities to expand the company’s core competencies to new business areas based on the strengths and expertise already exhibited by Menicon.

Menicon Appoints General Manager of Global Sales

Menicon Co., Ltd. announced the appointment of Ms. Jeanne Bear as General Manager, Global Sales Operations & Business Development, effective as of 1st June 2006. Ms. Bear, most recently with SynergEyes, Inc., as director of marketing, formerly worked as vice president of international sales and business development for Paragon Vision Sciences for over 16 years. She is actively involved with the European Federation of Contact Lens Industries (EFCLIN) and serves on the board of directors for that organization.

Menicon, which also recently announced a strategic alliance with NKL, a large contact lens manufacturer based in The Netherlands, continues expansion activities designed to build global presence of its contact lens business.

MENICON and NKL agree to long-term strategic alliance

NKL B.V. and Menicon Co., Ltd. – the Dutch and world’s largest GP manufacturers, respectively - agreed to collaborate in all areas of operations including R&D, manufacturing, logistics, marketing and sales on a global basis.

NKL will begin manufacturing and distributing contact lenses with Menicon materials as well as distributing Menicon's Lens Care Products in the Dutch market. Menicon will also begin distributing NKL's contact lenses through its European subsidiaries in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

To assure operational collaboration and a long-term strategic alliance, the companies have agreed that Menicon participates in the shareholdings of NKL. Mr Henk van Bruggen – current Managing Director of NKL - will remain as Managing Director of the company.

"This strategic alliance will bring enormous opportunities to NKL", said Mr. Henk van Bruggen.

"Menicon has now entered the second largest GP market after Japan". “The collaboration with NKL is a very important step forward for our expansion in Europe”, said Dr. Hidenari Tanaka - President of Menicon Co., Ltd

MENICON appoints New President in its European Headquarters

Menicon Co., Ltd. announced management changes in its European Head Office - Menicon Holdings Europe (MHE). Mr Toshio Matsushima - Executive Officer and General Manager of Global Business of Menicon Co., Ltd., - is appointed as President of the European subsidiary, effective from 12th April 2006. Mr Pierre Vilcot - former President of MHE - remains as Honorary Chairman of MHE assisting the new president for another year. Mr Matsushima maintains his current duties and position in Menicon Co., Ltd. with two bases of activities, in Japan and Europe.

MENICON agrees to license 66 Vision-Tech to manufacture and distribute Menicon’s “Meniflex” IOL in China

Many other areas for possible collaborations between the two companies exist

Menicon Co., Ltd. and 66 Vision-Tech Co., Ltd – the largest Chinese manufacturer and distributor of ophthalmic instruments – have entered into a licensing agreement for 66 Vision-Tech to manufacture Menicon’s “Meniflex” IOL in its manufacturing site in Suzhou, China. Menicon will provide 66 Vision-Tech with technical assistance. In return, 66 Vision-Tech will pay a royalty to Menicon for five years for the manufacture and distribution of “Meniflex” using its own distribution network throughout China. Manufacturing under this license will to be operational from 2008.

“This is one of the very important strategic steps forward to enter the giant Chinese market”, said Dr Hidenari Tanaka - President of Menicon Co., Ltd. He also acknowledges that “there are many other areas for possible collaborations between the two companies”.

Continuous wear of the Menifocal Z bifocal GP lens: a promising option for presbyopic correction

Results of a study conducted at the University of Melbourne in Australia show the Menicon Menifocal Z alternating vision, concentric, bifocal, GP lens can be safely worn for up to 30 days of continuous wear.

Researchers followed 35 existing GP wearers over a six-month period, 27 of whom completed the study.

Adverse responses and lens binding were minimal and no significant increase in corneal staining, vascularization or superior palpebral conjunctival papillae was noted.

They concluded that the hyper-Dk tisilfocon A material allows for safe wear of the lenses on a continuous-wear basis.

The study appears in the December issue of Optometry and Vision Science (Lakkis C, Goldenberg SA, Woods CA. Investigation of the performance of the Menifocal Z gas-permeable bifocal contact lens during continuous wear. Optom Vis Sci 2005;82:1022-1029).

MENICON Co., Ltd. has established a Global R&D Strategy Office in Singapore.

Menicon’s new Global R&D Strategy Office will be the base for
the Globalization of the company’s R&D activities.

Menicon Co., Ltd. has established a Global R&D Strategy Office (GR&DSO) <*> in Singapore, effective September 1st 2005. Menicon’s R&D activities have been concentrated in Japan. However, the GR&DSO is now expanding Menicon’s global R&D activities by beginning collaborations with numerous universities and institutions in Asia-Pacific, USA and Europe. Dr Mouad Lamrrani, former General Manager of the European R&D Branch Office, has been appointed as General Manager of the GR&DSO, and will relocate to Singapore.

“Menicon’s new Global R&D Strategy Office will be the base for the Globalization of the company’s R&D activities”, said Dr Hidenari Tanaka- President of Menicon Co., Ltd.

<*> Menicon Global R&D Strategy Office.
Dr Mouad Lamrrani
Nanyang Polytechnic

180 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8
Singapore 569830
Tel: +65 6841 6388
Fax: +65 6841 1803
Email: meniconrd@menicon.com.sg
URL: www.menicon.com

MENICON launches “MENICON 1 day”, a daily disposable contact lens, in Japan

This is an important step forward for Menicon’s future business.

Launched “Menicon 1day”, a daily disposable soft contact lens in the Japanese market on July 1st 2005. Menicon 1day is manufactured by liquid edge moulding technology on 55% water content Ocufilcon D material resulting in a lens with exceptional dimensional stability and smooth edges. The mid water, tinted blue content lens provides excellent image quality, lasting comfort, easy handling and the convenience of wearing a new pair of lenses everyday.

While Menicon has been the market leader in Japan’s RGP and soft conventional contact lens segments for more than 50 years, disposable lens segments have emerged during the last 10 years increasing the contact lens market three-fold. The Japanese contact lens market is the world’s second largest after the USA. With the launch of “Menicon 1day”, the company’s first ever daily disposable contact lens, Menicon has entered the world’s fastest growing segment.

“This is a very important step forward for the expansion of our future business”, said Dr Hidenari Tanaka- President of Menicon Co., Ltd.

MENICON Co. Ltd. has established a new subsidiary- Menicon Mandarin Asia Pte. Ltd. in Singapore

With the establishment of this company, Menicon has a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region for the further expansion of their business.

Menicon Co. Ltd. has established a new subsidiary- Menicon Mandarin Asia Pte. Ltd. <*> in Singapore which will be operational from July 1st 2005. Menicon Mandarin Asia businesses include imports and distributions of Menicon’s products in the Asia-Pacific region excluding China, Taiwan and Korea. Menicon now has a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region for the further expansion of their business. Mr Naoki Nomura, who has been with Menicon for 14 years, has been appointed as President of this new subsidiary.

<*> Menicon Mandarin Asia Pte. Ltd.
Mr Naoki Nomura

621 Aljunied road
#06-07 Lipo building
Singapore 389834
Tel: +65 6841 6388
Fax: +65 6841 1803
naoki.nomura@menicon.com.sg

Menicon is pleased to announce that Menicon Z<*> is approved by the SFDA to be sold in China

Menicon entered the Chinese market last year with MeniFlex IntraOcular Lens and
now has a complete range of RGP Lens and Care products (i.e. Menicon Z, MeniCare Plus Multipurpose Solution and Progent Protein Remover), expected to be launched to the Chinese market in June 2005.

<*> MeniconZ is the world's only Hyper DK RGP approved by FDA for up to
30 days continuous wear.