07/29/2026

Kids Corner - Spectacle Lenses For Slowing Down Myopia in Children– Available Now

What is it? 

As of September 25, 2025, the Essilor® Stellest® lenses received FDA authorization in the United States to slow the progression of myopia, becoming the first and only spectacle lenses authorized for myopia control in the United States. In their study, Essilor® Stellest® lenses slowed myopia progression by 71% on average over 2 years [1]. These lenses work with highly aspherical lenslet target technology (H.A.L.T. *) to create a volume of myopic defocus in front of the retina. The single vision zone provides correction of refractive error while the myopia progression control zone provides a signal to slow myopia progression and axial elongation. 

Who can I prescribe it for? 

The Essilor® Stellest® spectacle lens is indicated for the correction of myopia with and without astigmatism and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who, at the initiation of treatment, are aged 6-12 years and have spherical equivalent refraction of -0.75 D to - 4.50 D with astigmatism up to 1.50 D. The lenses are available for order from 0.00 to -10.00DS in -0.25D steps and 0.00 to -4.00DC in 0.25D steps. 

How do I prescribe it? 

Lenses are available for order through your Essilor lab and are currently billable through Eyemed, VSP, and UHC. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $450 per pair of lenses, which includes polycarbonate with Crizal® Easy Pro AR coating. It is not advised to add any other tints or coatings as that was not tested in the study and therefore it is unknown if the treatment effect would remain the same. Essilor® Stellest® lenses should be fitted while the patient is looking straight ahead at a distant object, and both monocular pupillary distances and optical centers (centers of pupils) must be measured. Pantoscopic tilt should be close to 0 degrees, and the “B” dimension should be 30mm atminimum. 

Recommended Wearing Schedule and Follow-Up Care 

Essilor® Stellest® lenses should be worn for a minimum of 10 hours/day, 6 days/week, and the adaptation period may be up to one week. Follow-up is recommended at 2 weeks to check adaptation and compliance, and then every 6 months for refraction and axial length assessment. Lenses should be updated if progression is 0.50D or more. 

You can help study the next generation of special lenses for myopia control by referring patients who may be interested in participating in an ongoing randomized clinical trial.  

The Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) is studying the effectiveness of spectacles with H.A.L.T.* MAX technology, new generation of Essilor® Stellest® lenses, and low-dose atropine (0.05%) in myopic (-0.75 to -6.00 D in SER in both eyes) children aged 5 to <12 years old in the Myopia Treatment Study 2 (MTS2). The randomized clinical trial is funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the NIH. Prior studies in Asia found that both 0.05% atropine eye drops and the specialized eyeglass technology, spectacle lenses with H.A.L.T.* MAX technology, may independently slow myopia progression.  However, these treatments haven’t been studied in US children, and it is not known if there is a benefit to combining these treatments.  

Participating sites in Ohio are at The Ohio State University College of Optometry and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, both in Columbus. If you have a patient who you think would be a good fit for the study, please reach out to Ann Morrison, OD, PhD at The OSU College of Optometry (614-247-0010; morrison.421@osu.edu) or Catherine Jordan, MD at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (catherine.jordan@nationwidechildrens.org). 

For more information about the MTS2 study, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07095894. *H.A.L.T. is an acronym for Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target and does not imply a “halt” or “stop” of myopia progression.  

Spectacle lenses with H.A.L.T.* MAX technology ​are not authorized in the US. 

Reference 

1. US Food & Drug Administration. FDA authorizes marketing of first eyeglass lenses to slow progression of pediatric myopia. US FDA; 2025 September 25. Available at: www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-authorizes-marketing-first-eyeglass-lenses-slow-progression-pediatric-myopia