DOT® Spectacle Lenses by SightGlass Vision® Offer a Groundbreaking New Approach to Protecting Children’s Eyesight in the UK

Myopia, commonly known as shortsightedness, has exploded into a global epidemic among children, now affecting an estimated one in three worldwide.¹ In the UK, the proportion of children developing myopia has more than doubled over the past 50 years, and children are becoming myopic at a younger age.² A progressive disease with consequences beyond blurry vision, myopia’s severity is measured in diopters; the higher the number, the more severe the myopia and the greater the risk of serious complications.³ Reducing progression by just one diopter can lower those risks by up to 40%.³

SightGlass Vision^® was founded in 2016 to develop innovative, science-based treatments to address this public health crisis. Its DOT^® spectacle lenses, based on genetic discoveries and gold-standard clinical trials,^4-6 launched in 2021 as the first lenses that slow the progression of myopia through contrast management.^7,8 Now available in several countries, DOT lenses made their commercial debut in the UK in autumn 2025.

“What drives us is the children we are ultimately here to help,” said Andrew Sedgwick, SightGlass Vision’s CEO. “Every eye care professional who has embraced DOT lenses is one more champion in the fight against long-term eye health problems, which can be caused by uncontrolled myopia progression.”

As a small company with a big vision to stop myopia, SightGlass Vision has grown significantly in recent years, with DOT lenses now reaching millions of children.^9* Though it operates as a joint venture between EssilorLuxottica and CooperCompanies, SightGlass Vision remains independent, with its own dedicated team driving the research behind DOT lenses, and the UK serving as a central hub for its global operations.

The company’s growth is the product of several converging factors: landmark clinical research, rapid real-world adoption, a committed UK-based team, and sustained investment in professional education.

Built on Science, Driven by Landmark Research

SightGlass Vision’s DOT lenses have pioneered a new method to effectively combat the risks posed by rising rates of myopia progression to children’s eye health. Research suggests spending more time indoors, studying, reading, and in modern, artificial environments may be linked to accelerated myopia progression in children.^10-14 DOT lenses are designed to address this directly. By softly scattering light before it reaches the retina, the lenses mimic more natural contrast.¹⁵

SightGlass Vision has built a robust body of clinical evidence supporting this approach across diverse patient populations. The latest findings come from CATHAY, the company’s clinical trial conducted in China. Newly released two-year data showed that DOT lenses saved more than 1D (diopter) of myopia progression on average after two years in Chinese children aged 6 to 10, meaningfully reducing long-term eye health risk.^16†‡Across the full study population aged 6 to 13, the lenses slowed average myopia progression by 0.78D (diopter), or 67%.^16† Together with the company’s previous North American study, the results build a compelling case for contrast management as an effective approach to slowing myopia progression in children.

Two Million Children and Counting

SightGlass Vision recently announced that two million children worldwide have now worn DOT spectacle lenses for myopia control, reaching this milestone less than a year after surpassing one million wearers.^9* The speed of this achievement reflects the surging demand from eye care professionals seeking effective myopia control options for their young patients. The UK is among the newest additions to that growing footprint and marks an important chapter for SightGlass Vision.

Bringing DOT Lenses to the UK

When DOT lenses became commercially available in the UK in September 2025, they brought a new option to eye care professionals and families here, backed by years of clinical data and a team deeply rooted in the region. The UK is home to SightGlass Vision’s CEO and a growing leadership team spanning clinical, research, and commercial functions, making the launch of DOT lenses here a natural and long-anticipated next step.

Early response from UK eye care professionals has been encouraging. Craig McArthur at Peter Ivins Eye Care, one of the first UK practices to prescribe DOT lenses, said: “Parents are often surprised to learn how quickly myopia can progress in young children. Screen time has accelerated what was already a growing concern across the UK, and that makes early intervention more important than ever. DOT lenses fill the need for an easy and highly effective solution to offer families, and having strong clinical evidence behind that recommendation gives us greater confidence in those conversations with parents.”

Building Understanding of Contrast Management for Myopia Control

Building trust is crucial to driving broader adoption, so SightGlass Vision has made professional education a central priority in the UK.

Its “Control the Contrast” campaign is creating greater understanding among eye care professionals of the power of contrast management in myopia control and equipping them with the tools to act. The initiative has already reached thousands, connecting the science behind DOT lenses to clinical practice and helping more eye care professionals feel confident recommending them. The company has also launched a dedicated educational webinar series in the UK and other markets, running since October 2025 and continuing to the present day.

For UK eye care professionals, these resources offer a practical entry point to contrast management and into the conversations with families that can make a real difference in children’s long-term eye health.

A UK-Led Solution for a Global Problem

Being a finalist for the UK Business Tech Awards HealthTech Company of the Year 2026 reflects something bigger than a single accolade. It speaks to what a small team has built around a first-of-its-kind treatment for a disease affecting millions of children, backed by rigorous science and a genuine commitment to getting it into the hands of the professionals who need it most.

Sedgwick said: “Being shortlisted for this award is a proud moment, and a reminder of how much further we can go. We are committed to making DOT lenses a go-to approach for myopia control here in the UK, and this recognition reinforces that we are on the right path.”

David Webley, Senior Director, Clinical, Medical and Professional Affairs at SightGlass Vision, said: “Myopia management is evolving rapidly, and eye care professionals in the UK are increasingly looking for treatments grounded in strong clinical evidence. What excites me is that the science behind DOT lenses is only getting stronger, and our education efforts are helping clinicians connect that evidence to real outcomes for the children in their care.”

Now with two million children wearing DOT lenses,^9* the trajectory of adoption tells its own story: one of growing trust among eye care professionals and growing hope for the children and families they serve.

Connect with SightGlass Vision

Website / Control the Contrast Website / LinkedIn

References:

* DOT lenses are not available for sale in all countries, including in the U.S.

† Prescribed DOT lens wear time was 10 hours per day.

‡ LS mean progression difference of 1.01D between test and control groups.

1. Liang J, Pu Y, Chen J, et al. Global prevalence, trend and projection of myopia in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2050: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2025;109(3):362-371. doi:10.1136/bjo-2024-325427.
2. McCullough SJ, O’Donoghue L, Saunders KJ. Six Year Refractive Change among White Children and Young Adults: Evidence for Significant Increase in Myopia among White UK Children. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 19;11(1):e0146332. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146332. PMID: 26783753; PMCID: PMC4718680.
3. Bullimore MA & Brennan NA. Myopia Control: Why Each Diopter Matters. Optometry & Vision Science. 2019;96(6):463-465.
4. Rappon J, Neitz J, Neitz M, et al. Two-year effectiveness of a novel myopia management spectacle lens with full-time wearers. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022 :e001790.
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6. Hariton E, Locascio JJ. Randomised controlled trials – the gold standard for effectiveness research: Study design: randomised controlled trials. BJOG. 2018 Dec;125(13):1716.
7. Wolffsohn SJ et al. Visual impact of diffusion optic technology lenses for myopia control. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2024; 44: 1398–1406.
8. SGV data on file, 2023.
9. SGV data on file 2026: 2024–26 sales data and repeat purchase rates; reflects global usage across multiple regions.
10. Morgan IG, Wu PC, Ostrin LA, Tideman JWL, Yam JC, Lan W, Baraas RC, He X, Sankaridurg P, Saw SM, French AN, Rose KA, Guggenheim JA. IMI Risk Factors for Myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021 Apr 28;62(5):3. doi: 10.1167/iovs.62.5.3. PMID: 33909035; PMCID: PMC8083079.
11. Biswas S, El Kareh A, Qureshi M, Lee DMX, Sun CH, Lam JSH, Saw SM, Najjar RP. The influence of the environment and lifestyle on myopia. J Physiol Anthropol 2024;43(1):7.
12. Flitcroft et al. The Spatial Frequency Content of Urban and Indoor Environments as a Potential Risk Factor for Myopia Development. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2020;61(11):42
13. Guo Y, Liu LJ, Tang P, Lv YY, Feng Y, et al. (2017) Outdoor activity and myopia progression in 4-year follow-up of Chinese primary school children: The Beijing Children Eye Study. PLOS ONE 12(4): e0175921
14. Li X, Li L, Qin W, et al. Urban Living Environment and Myopia in Children. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(12):e2346999. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46999.
15. Rappon et al. Control of myopia using diffusion optics spectacle lenses: 12-month results of a randomised controlled, efficacy and safety study. Br J Ophthalmol 2023;107:1709-1715.1.
16. SGV data on file 2026. Control of myopia using contrast modulation spectacle lenses in a Chinese population (n = 172 (6-10 years: 117), 5 sites in China). Overall patient population aged 6–13 years.  The clinical trial was designed to compare DOT lenses with conventional single vision lenses to evaluate their continued safety and efficacy in Chinese children.

Diffusion Optics Technology and DOT are trademarks of SightGlass Vision, Inc.^© 2026 SightGlass Vision, Inc. All Rights Reserved.