Johnson & Johnson Vision inked a $26.35 million collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research institute, the research arm of the Singapore National Eye Centre, focused on treating nearsightedness, the No. 1 eye defect worldwide.
With myopia projected to affect half the world’s population by 2050, or over 5 billion people, J&J described nearsighted vision as the largest threat to eye health in this century. One billion people are expected to have a severe form of myopia, which can increase the risks of retinal diseases and eventual blindness.
The three-year public-private partnership will study how the condition develops and may be treated—with the goal of developing predictive tools to identify those at risk for high myopia. It will also research potential therapies and methods to prevent onset and progression.
“The incidence of myopia is increasing at an alarming rate around the world and if left unchecked, the human and financial toll could skyrocket in the coming decades, especially in Asia,” J&J’s chief scientific officer, Paul Stoffels, M.D., said in a statement.
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If left unchecked, myopia can lead to retinal degeneration and detachment, cataracts and glaucoma, due to an elongation of the eyeball. J&J predicts it could become the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness.
"Documented increases in myopia, especially among young people, are a serious concern and if we can understand the underlying mechanisms that are contributing to its rapid rise, we can work to tackle the problem at its roots," said professor Aung Tin, executive director of SERI. For the collaboration, J&J is contributing a $15.78 million investment, while SERI's investment totals $10.57 million.
East Asia and Singapore are expected to see the greatest impact, with prevalence among young people reaching between 80% and 97%, with concentrations in urban areas. In Singapore, 75% of teenagers rely on glasses—while myopia rates progressively rise from 10% to 80% among children in China ages six to 18.