Johnson & Johnson expected to expand parameters for Acuvue Vita for Astigmatism

Erin Rueff, OD, PhD, FAAO, DipAAO, associate director of Professional Education for Johnson & Johnson, discussed the ACUVUE family of contact lenses, with a particular focus on Acuvue Vita, their monthly replacement lens. Rueff recently spoke on the lens family during an appearance at SECO 2026, where she delivered a lunch talk about the overall Acuvue portfolio and its underlying technology.

Rueff explained that all Acuvue lenses are built on a technology foundation called Eye-Inspired Design, which addresses three key pillars: comfort, vision, and overall eye health. The philosophy is to design lenses that work with the natural biology of the eye to deliver consistent comfort and high-quality vision while supporting ocular health. During her SECO session, Rueff walked through the entire product portfolio, highlighting what makes each product unique and which patient types are best suited for each lens.

The main focus then shifts to Acuvue Vita, which originally launched in 2016 and is being “re-launched” in 2026. Erin notes that Vita remains a strong option in today’s economic environment, especially since more than half of new contact lens wearers still enter the market in reusable (monthly) lenses, despite the preference to recommend daily disposables when possible. Vita is positioned as a comfortable, easy-to-handle, and vision-stable monthly lens, with data showing it is more comfortable at both week 1 and week 4 compared to popular competing monthlies. It has also been favorably compared to lenses such as TOTAL30, where patients report better vision and handling.

Rueff emphasized new parameter expansions for the astigmatic (toric) version of Acuvue Vita, particularly higher cylinder powers (around –2.75) and full-axis coverage “around the clock.” This expansion allows practitioners to fit higher-magnitude astigmats who previously might have been placed in another monthly lens with broader parameters. Now, these patients can benefit from Acuvue’s Blink-Stabilized Astigmatism Design, a prism-free stabilization system that works with natural eyelid and ocular forces rather than relying heavily on gravity and avoids significant interaction with the lower lid. This is especially critical for higher-cylinder patients, where even small rotational misalignments can significantly degrade vision.

In response to questions about practitioner feedback and portfolio positioning, Rueff notes that many doctors are already familiar with Acuvue, but Johnson & Johnson is using this year’s efforts—particularly the Vita parameter expansion—to re-engage practitioners with the full Acuvue portfolio. The goal is to help them match specific lenses to diverse patient needs, especially as patients increasingly ask about cost, lifestyle, and the reasons behind lens choices. The cylinder power expansion in Vita is presented as a concrete example of how the brand is expanding options to serve more patients more effectively.