Non‑surgical solution for presbyopia + myopia — is the next ophthalmology breakout product about to arrive?

A clear pain point meets a narrow supply

China is aging fast and myopia is ubiquitous. The overlap — middle‑aged consumers who need both distance and near correction — is growing into a sizable, predictable market. Will a soft contact lens finally become the breakout ophthalmology product that answers both presbyopia (老视) and myopia (近视) without surgery? Investors and clinicians think so, but domestic supply and clinical pathways are still catching up.

EDOF lenses change the design playbook

Traditional options are single‑vision “monovision” fitting or multifocal lenses that rely on concentric optical zones. Both work, but have trade‑offs: loss of stereo vision, complex fitting, pupil dependence and patient intolerance. Extended depth‑of‑focus (EDOF) optics aim to broaden the usable focal range without strict zonal designs. It has been reported that Bruno Vision Care’s EDOF soft lens Deseyne won FDA clearance in December 2025 — a milestone that translates high‑end intraocular lens technology into soft contact lenses and validates faster patient adaptation in clinical practice. Reportedly, the technology reduces pupil sensitivity and visual fluctuations, widening the candidate pool.

Domestic industry: growing interest, real hurdles

Local players have largely poured resources into OK‑lenses for myopia control and cosmetic soft lenses, not presbyopia devices. Boshi Medical (博视医疗) and Fitelan (菲特兰) are among a handful developing multifocal or EDOF products, but they face steep technical barriers: high‑oxygen, hydrating silicone‑hydrogel materials, ultra‑precise optical moulding and robust clinical‑fitting workflows tied to hospitals rather than retail shops. Materials and high‑precision manufacturing remain concentrated among international suppliers, a fragility that is now viewed through a geopolitical lens — trade policy, export controls and supply‑chain resilience matter for medical optics as much as for semiconductors.

Opportunity is real, but so are the bottlenecks

Demographics and early success in Western markets suggest presbyopia contact lenses can scale: ageing populations and millions already contact‑lens literate create two natural demand streams. Still, broad adoption will need domestic material advances, scaled precision production, clinician‑led fitting ecosystems and carefully priced offerings to compete with emerging surgical options (it has been reported that Presbia’s Flexivue Microlens trials are underway in China). So, will EDOF soft lenses become the next ophthalmology breakout? Technically yes — commercially, only if manufacturers, hospitals and regulators close several coordination gaps simultaneously.