31.10.2002

japantoday > technology

Menicon to launch 1st contact lens for dogs, cats

NAGOYA — Menicon Co, a contact lens manufacturer, said Wednesday it will launch Japan's first domestically developed contact lens for dogs and cats to treat eye diseases in November.

The Meni-Wan Chiryo-yo (treatment) Contact Lens will hit the market Friday, designated as Dogs' Day in Japan, the Nagoya-based company said. Local pet food makers designated the day for canines because the three "1"s that appear in the date can be pronounced as Wan Wan Wan — meaning bow-wow — in Japanese.

For Menicon, the new product is the second catering to canine patients. The first product, Meni-Wan Lens, was released in 1997 as an intraocular lens that can be implanted if a dog's natural eye lens is removed in an operation to treat cataracts.

The new product, a soft lens made of similar material to lenses worn by humans, can be used for dogs or cats if they suffer eye injuries. By wearing the lens, pain will be eased and the wound will heal faster, according to the company.

"We thought there was a demand for the product after seeing a pet boom and the phenomenon of aging pets during the past several years," a company official said.

Although Menicon did not release the wholesale price of the product, it said its initial-year sales target is 10 million yen.

It will be sold only to animal hospitals and practicing veterinarians as the government approved sales for treatment purposes and the lens can be administered only by doctors. (Kyodo News)

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