LENZ Therapeutics CFO Dan Chevallard talks Vizz adoption, global growth

Q&A with Dan Chevallard, CFO, LENZ Therapeutics

Since its US launch, Vizz (aceclidine ophthalmic solution 1.44%; LENZ Therapeutics) has continued to build momentum among eye care professionals treating presbyopia. In this Q&A, Dan Chevallard, CFO of LENZ Therapeutics, discusses early prescriber experience, patient populations responding well to the drop, and what the company's newest international partnership signals for the future of pharmacologic presbyopia care.

Chevallard describes strong early awareness among eye care professionals, growing prescriber confidence, and refill dynamics that reinforce the company's outlook on long-term adoption. He also points to a new telehealth prescribing option intended to shorten the path between patient awareness and treatment activation.

On the clinical side, Chevallard identifies three groups where Vizz has resonated most in real-world practice: contact lens wearers who want to avoid transitioning into bifocals or progressive lenses as presbyopia progresses, patients who previously underwent refractive surgery such as LASIK or PRK and want to remain glasses-free, and active aging presbyopes seeking glasses-free correction. He notes that more than seven in 10 contact lens wearers move out of lenses after age 50 due to presbyopia, making this population a meaningful focus for practice retention conversations.

Chevallard also addresses LENZ's expanding global commercialization strategy, highlighted by a new partnership with Arrotex to bring Vizz to Australia and New Zealand. The agreement marks the company's fifth ex-US commercial partnership, joining existing agreements across Greater China, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Canada, and the Middle East. With an estimated 1.8 billion people affected by presbyopia worldwide, Chevallard frames the expansion as part of a broader effort to establish Vizz as a global treatment category rather than a single-market product.

For more on this partnership, read the full coverage on Optometry Times.

Below, Chevallard shares more detail on ECP adoption trends, patient candidacy, and what the Arrotex agreement means for the future of presbyopia management.

Since Vizz launched in the US, what has LENZ learned from eye care professionals about how the drop is being incorporated into presbyopia management?

Dan Chevallard: We have made significant progress in the early quarters of launch driving high ECP awareness, growing prescriber experience and confidence with Vizz, and have started to build consumer awareness and engagement through our DTC campaigns as we establish a new market for the treatment of presbyopia. Vizz is delivering the kind of real-world efficacy we believed it could, and the early refill dynamics we are seeing continue to reinforce our confidence in the long-term opportunity. Looking ahead, we are focused on helping ECPs integrate Vizz seamlessly into their practices, improving the patient path from awareness to activation, and continuing to drive adoption as we build this exciting treatment category. We are especially excited about our recent launch of our new telehealth prescribing option to accelerate patient access to Vizz.

Have any patient populations emerged as particularly strong candidates for Vizz in real-world practice?

Chevallard: As was observed in the clinic, we see a broad patient population that is benefiting from Vizz. Our early target consumers are proving out to be patients in contacts who want to remain glasses-free but would otherwise be forced into bifocals or progressive lenses due to presbyopia. It has been very important to emphasize to ECPs those patients currently in contacts, as over 70% of those patients move out of contacts after age 50 due to presbyopia, and this is a meaningful patient retention strategy. We're also seeing strong response among post-refractive surgery patients, for example those who had LASIK or PRK to correct their distance vision but want to remain glasses-free, and active aging presbyopes who desire to be glasses-free.

What does this agreement with Arrotex signal about the future of pharmacologic treatment for presbyopia globally?

Chevallard: We are pleased to expand our global commercial partnership network for Vizz into Australia and New Zealand. Arrotex represents our fifth ex-US commercialization partnership for Vizz, underscoring our commitment to broadening access to our transformative presbyopia therapy worldwide. Arrotex is a leading commercial partner in Australia and New Zealand, with an unmatched network of pharmacy partnerships and strong track record of bringing innovative branded medicines to patients. We look forward to working together to bring Vizz to patients across the region. We now have commercial partnerships established in Greater China, South Korea and Southeast Asia, Canada, the Middle East region and now Oceania. With over 1.8 billion presbyopes around the world, we believe Vizz will be a best-in-class global brand, and remain focused on expanding our international partnership strategy.