American Optometric Association Awards ACUVUE® ADVANCE® Plus Brand Contact Lenses with Seal of Acceptance for UV Absorbing Contact Lenses

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ACUVUE® ADVANCE® Plus Brand Contact Lenses today became the sixth contact lens in the ACUVUE® Brand family of products to receive the Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbing Contact Lenses from the American Optometric Association's (AOA) Commission on Ophthalmic Standards.

In awarding the Seal of Acceptance, AOA's Commission on Ophthalmic Standards, which provides independent evaluation of ophthalmic related products, determined that ACUVUE® ADVANCE® Plus Brand meets AOA specifications for ultraviolet absorbing contact lenses.  These specifications are in accordance with published standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Standards Organization (ISO).

"For those who need vision correction, a significant measure of UV protection can be achieved with a combination of UV-absorbing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking contact lenses," says Karl M. Citek, OD, Ph.D., Chair of the Commission on Ophthalmic Standards.

"Not all contact lens lines offer UV protection, and, of those that do, not all provide similar absorption levels," explains Sheila Hickson-Curran, Director, Medical Affairs, VISTAKON®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.  

All ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses offer effective UV-blocking, and among contact lens brands, only ACUVUE® ADVANCE® Plus, 1-DAY ACUVUE® TRUEYE™, ACUVUE® OASYS® with HYDRACLEAR® PLUS, ACUVUE® OASYS® for ASTIGMATISM, ACUVUE® ADVANCE® with HYDRACLEAR®, and ACUVUE® ADVANCE® for ASTIGMATISM Brand Contact Lenses carry the AOA's Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbing Contact Lenses. These contact lenses offer the highest level of UV-blocking available, blocking more than 90 percent of UVA rays and 99 percent of UVB rays that reach the lens.+ *   On average, contact lenses without UV-blocking capability allow 90% of UVA radiation and 70% of UVB radiation to pass through the lenses to your eyes.

"Although UV-blocking contact lenses provide important added protection for patients, they should not be viewed as a stand-alone solution," notes Dr. Citek. "Contact lenses should always be worn in conjunction with high-quality UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat for maximum UV protection for the eyes."

Important information for contact lens wearers: ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses are available by prescription only for vision correction. An eye care professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by your eye doctor. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, contact your eye doctor immediately.  For more information on proper wear, care and safety, talk to your eye care professional and ask for a Patient Instruction Guide, call 1-800-843-2020 or visit www.Acuvue.com.

+ Helps protect against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye.

* WARNING: UV-absorbing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV-absorbing eyewear such as UV-absorbing goggles or sunglasses because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area. You should continue to use UV-absorbing eyewear as directed. NOTE: Long term exposure to UV radiation is one of the risk factors associated with cataracts. Exposure is based on a number of factors such as environmental conditions (altitude, geography, cloud cover) and personal factors (extent and nature of outdoor activities). UV-Blocking contact lenses help provide protection against harmful UV radiation. However, clinical studies have not been done to demonstrate that wearing UV-Blocking contact lenses reduces the risk of developing cataracts or other eye disorders. Consult your eye care practitioner for more information.

1-DAY ACUVUE® TruEye™, ACUVUE®, ACUVUE® ADVANCE®, HYDRACLEAR®, ACUVUE® OASYS®, and VISTAKON® are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

SOURCE VISTAKON(R), Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.