ARVO 2026: MiYOSMART iQ demonstrates myopia control in children as young as aged 4

Clinical trial results presented by HOYA Vision Care and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at the ARVO 2026 Annual Meeting showed that a new myopia control spectacle lens design halted clinically relevant myopia progression in 9 out of 10 children during the first year of wear.

The randomized controlled trial included 196 schoolchildren in Hong Kong aged 4 to 12 years with myopia who completed the study. Children wearing MiYOSMART iQ spectacle lenses showed no myopia progression on average at 12 months, according to the investigators. Axial elongation, the excessive growth of the eye associated with myopia progression, was reported to be below or comparable to that of emmetropic children, or those without refractive errors.

Researchers said the findings represent the highest myopia-control efficacy reported to date in children wearing Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) Technology-based spectacle lenses.

The study also marked the first time myopia control efficacy with DIMS Technology-based spectacle lenses was demonstrated in children as young as 4 years old.

“At HOYA Vision Care, we imagine a world without myopia. This milestone is truly a generational leap in myopia control and represents an important step toward the vision we are committed to shaping for children around the world. Until today, no trial conducted on a myopia control spectacle lens has shown this level of effectiveness in controlling the condition,” said John Goltermann Lassen, CEO of HOYA Vision Care, in the release. “Our mission is to improve life through vision by continuously raising the standard of care in myopia control, ensuring that thoughtful innovation and thorough craftsmanship translate into meaningful clinical benefits for children and support Eye Care Professionals’ practice."

Myopia is projected to affect around half of the world’s population by 2050, compared with about one-third today. Researchers noted that initiating effective myopia control early in life may reduce cumulative progression and lower the risk of developing high myopia and associated sight-threatening diseases later in life.

“Unaddressed myopia today becomes irreversible vision loss tomorrow. If we delay, this epidemic will define the next generation,” said Serge Resnikoff, MD, PhD, chair of the International Myopia Institute, during an April 22 press conference.

Among children aged 4 to 12 years, the mean change in spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) over 12 months was +0.046D in the MiYOSMART iQ group, compared with –0.534D in the single vision spectacle lens control group, corresponding to a myopia control efficacy of more than 100%. Mean axial length change was 0.075 mm in the MiYOSMART iQ group and 0.346 mm in the control group.

In children aged 4 to 6 years, MiYOSMART iQ showed a myopia control efficacy of 65% in SER and 44% in axial length over 12 months. Mean SER changes were −0.220D in the MiYOSMART iQ group and −0.635D in the control group, while mean axial length changes were 0.266 mm and 0.475 mm, respectively.

“Beyond stopping myopia progression on average over a period of 12 months and across childhood stages, these findings demonstrate – for the first time with myopia control spectacle lenses – efficacy in children from 4 years of age with early-onset myopia, enabling us to control it at a critical time when it is progressing rapidly and the risk of long-term impact is highest,” said Natalia Vlasak, MD, MBA, HOYA Vision Care’s global head of medical and scientific affairs, in the release.

For children aged 7 to 12 years, MiYOSMART iQ demonstrated myopia control efficacy of more than 100% in SER and 94% in axial length over 12 months. Mean SER changes were +0.155D in the MiYOSMART iQ group and −0.511D in the control group, while mean axial length changes were 0.019 mm and 0.310 mm, respectively.

Researchers also reported high compliance with daily, all-day wear across all age groups studied.

MiYOSMART iQ is the latest version of MiYOSMART and builds on DIMS Technology with what HOYA calls Triple Enhanced Design, which includes defocus segments positioned closer to the geometric center of the lens, higher defocus power, and an extended treatment zone intended to improve peripheral retinal coverage.

"MiYOSMART iQ is the result of years of dedicated research and collaboration between scientists, clinicians and optical engineers. The Triple Enhanced Design was built on a deep understanding of how the eye responds to a myopic defocus signal, and a determination to push the boundaries of what spectacle lenses could achieve. To see those years of work translate into results like these is profoundly rewarding,” said Chi-ho To, PhD, visiting chair professor of experimental optometry at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, in the release.

Reference