Article

Long-Term Clinical Efficacy of ZEISS MyoCare Spectacle Lenses: A Multi-Regional Longitudinal Analysis of CARE Technology

Clinical Digest from ARVO 2026

22 May 2026 · 5 min read

Author Dr. Christina Böck-Maier Scientific and Medical Affairs | ZEISS Vision Care

Long-Term Clinical Efficacy of ZEISS MyoCare Spectacle Lenses: A Multi-Regional Longitudinal Analysis of CARE Technology

Three-year results from an on-going multicenter trial in Asia (trial 1, NCT05288335) show that ZEISS MyoCare and ZEISS MyoCare S spectacle lenses continue to slow myopia progression as compared to SV
lenses with sustained, long-term management of both refractive error and axial elongation over 36 months.¹

OVERVIEW OF TRIAL 1
240 Chinese children aged 6 to 13 years, spherical equivalent refractive error (SE) -0.75D to -5.00D, were enrolled and randomly assigned to single vision lenses (SV, N = 80), ZEISS MyoCare spectacle lenses incorporating cylindrical annular refractive elements with a mean surface power of +4.6D and a central clear zone of 7mm (N = 80), or ZEISS MyoCare S spectacle lenses incorporating cylindrical annular refractive elements with a mean surface power of +3.8D and 9mm central clear zone (N = 80). After 2.5 years, children assigned to SV were transferred to ZEISS MyoCare. Hence, progression with SV for year 3 was estimated based on age-weighted annual progression.

Two-year results from an on-going multicenter trial in Europe (trial 2, NCT05919654) show that ZEISS MyoCare lenses demonstrate sustained efficacy in slowing myopia progression in European children over 24 months². The treatment effect was consistent across both years, and younger children benefited the most, providing evidence for ZEISS MyoCare lenses as effective, safe, and age‑robust option for long‑term myopia management.

OVERVIEW OF TRIAL 2
234 Caucasian children aged 6 to 13 years, SE -0.75D to -5.00D, with a past annual progression of at least -0.50D, were enrolled and randomly assigned to SV lenses (N = 119) or ZEISS MyoCare spectacle lenses incorporating cylindrical annular refractive elements with a mean surface power of +4.6D and a central clear zone of 7mm (N = 115).

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These longitudinal outcomes demonstrate the long-term efficacy of ZEISS MyoCare lenses to manage excessive eye growth, validated across different geographical regions and ethnicities.
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Clinical Context

Myopia is fast rising in prevalence globally with substantial health, financial, productivity and quality of life implications. Higher levels of myopia increase the burden substantially and hence it is critical that in eyes that are already myopic, progression is slowed or halted. Spectacle lenses offer an easy to use, convenient and safe platform to deliver myopia control options. At the annual meeting of the world’s largest eye and vision research organization – the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), held May 3rd to 7th in Denver, Colorado, USA – ZEISS Vision Care shared the latest clinical insights on the ZEISS MyoCare portfolio.

TRIAL 1, ASIAN EYES (NCT05288335)

Key Results

After three years of lens wear, compared to weresingle vision (SV) lenses, progression of myopia was significantly slower with ZEISS MyoCare and ZEISS MyoCare S lenses. The difference in progression between MyoCare®, MyoCare® S and SV lenses for spherical equivalent refractive error (SE) and axial length (AL) were¹

ZEISS MyoCare

Over 36 months:

0.62D

average reduction of refractive error
0.28mm

average reduction of axial length progression

ZEISS MyoCare S

Over 36 months:

0.45D

average reduction of refractive error
0.18mm

average reduction of axial length progression

TRIAL 2, EUROPEAN EYES (NCT05288335)

Key Results

After two years of lens wear, compared to single vision (SV) lenses, progression of myopia was significantly slower with ZEISS MyoCare lenses. The difference in progression between MyoCare® and SV lenses for spherical equivalent refractive error (SE) and axial length (AL) were²

ZEISS MyoCare

Over 24 months:

0.37D

average reduction of refractive error
0.22mm

average reduction of axial length progression

Comparison of Year 1 and Year 2

Follow-up analyses of year-specific differences showed that ZEISS MyoCare lenses maintained axial elongation and SE progression at low, stable levels throughout the second year. Younger children showed greater slowing progression in Year 2, reinforcing the clinical mandate for early intervention to maximize the suppression of axial elongation during the critical years of eye growth².

Reduction of risk for fast progression

ZEISS MyoCare lenses significantly reduced both the risk and severity of rapid myopia progression (−0.50D or greater SE and +0.20mm or greater AL elongation within two years) compared to SV³.

Research Insights on Gaze Behavior With Myopia Management Lenses

A research study was conducted to broaden our understanding how myopia management spectacle lenses influence wearers’ gaze behavior, given their unique lens designs featuring central clear zones and peripheral treatment zones. The study found that ZEISS MyoCare lenses caused novice users to naturally increase both the length and speed of head movements compared to single vision lenses. This effortless and instantaneous adjustment enabled novice wearers to maintain clear vision by compensating for altered image quality in the lens periphery⁴.

The original contributions that were presented at ARVO 2026 can be found here: https://zeiss.com/vision-myopia

^{Hong Kong Polytechnic University owns granted patents (including Chinese patent: CN103097940) on annular concentric lens for myopia control, which are licensed to Carl Zeiss. Carl Zeiss started in 2021 to develop in collaboration with Wenzhou Medical University the latest cylindrical annular refractive elements technology for spectacle lenses that is used in MyoCare lens designs. Not all products, services or offers are approved or offered in every market and approved labelling and instructions may vary from one country to another.}

¹
Chen, X., et al. (2026, May 3-7). Slowing myopia progression with cylindrical annular refractive elements (CARE) – results from a 3-year prospective multi-center trial. [Conference presentation abstract].
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.
²
Alvarez-Peregrina, C., et al. (2026, May 3-7). Two-year evolution of Cylindrical Annular Refractive Elements (CARE) lens efficacy. [Conference presentation abstract].
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.
³
Sanchez Tena, M.A., et al. (2026, May 3-7). Risk factors and protective effect of CARE spectacle lenses on rapid myopia progression in European children. [Conference presentation abstract].
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.
⁴
Rifai, K., et al. (2026, May 3−7). Gaze behaviour with myopia management spectacle lenses. [Conference presentation abstract]. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.