J&J announces plans to discontinue Acuvue Advance, introduces Acuvue Oasys six-month supply pack

Philadelphia-Johnson & Johnson Vision Care announced its plans to discontinue the Acuvue Advance brand contact lenses next year, and also announced the availability of a six-month supply pack of Acuvue Oasys at the American Optometric Association Meeting 2014. 

Effective March 31, 2015, Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism, Acuvue Advance Plus, and all other remaining parameters will be discontinued. Diagnostic lenses from Acuvue Advance and Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism have already been discontinued, while diagnostic lenses for Acuvue Advance Plus will be discontinued as of August 1, 2014. Acuvue Brand Contact Lenses, which launched in 1987, also will be discontinued on March 31, 2015.

“For more than 25 years, the Acuvue brand has been at the forefront of innovation, contributing to today’s high standards for contact lenses,” says Laura Angelini, president, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Companies, North America. “Contact lens wearers continue to embrace innovative new materials, technologies, and designs that meet their vision, comfort, health, and lifestyle needs. As we continue to invest heavily in research and development of new and improved products that offer benefits beyond vision correction, we have made the decision to discontinue production of some of our older technology.”

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care will support ODs with in-office tools to help ECPs and staff transition patients from the Acuvue Advance line. To ease the transition, the company is offering a fitting fee reimbursement of up to $100 toward patients’ fitting fees when Acuvue Advance or Acuvue brand wearers are prescribed an annual supply of any product in the Acuvue Oasys, 1-Day Acuvue Moist, or 1-Day Acuvue TruEye contact lens lines.

Next: More on new Acuvue Oasys supply packs

In related news, the company also announced the availability of a six-month supply pack of Acuvue Oasys contact lenses, which will replace all three-month supply packs for the line effective July 1, 2014.

“In a study that captured actual product use patterns among Acuvue Oasys brand three-month and annual supply users across a four-month time period, research showed that patients with larger pack sizes tended to be more compliant in replacing their lenses bi-weekly as recommended by their doctor, had a significantly better wearing experience with respect to better comfort throughout the day, at the end of the day, and throughout the wear cycle,” Angelini says. “Additionally, patients with larger pack sizes said they were more likely to return to their doctor the next time they need an eye examination.”

The sixth-month supply pack will be available in all parameters that are currently available in the current three-month and annual supply packs.

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