Awareness Survey on Intraocular Contact Lenses (Posterior Chamber Phakic Intraocular Lenses) for Men and Women Aged 20-40 with Vision Below 0.1

In April 2025, At Working Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 5F WORK VILLA MYJ kanda, 1-4 Kanda Ogawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), which sells 'IPCL®' (hereinafter referred to as IPCL), approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in April 2025, conducted a survey on intraocular contact lenses targeting men and women aged 20-40 nationwide.

IPCL is a treatment method called 'intraocular contact lens' that corrects myopia and astigmatism by inserting a small lens into the eye. It uses an acrylic polymer material with HEMA as the main component, widely used in intraocular lenses for cataracts and contact lenses. Unlike LASIK, it does not ablate the cornea, making it a highly reversible treatment method that allows for future lens removal, attracting attention. After multi-center clinical trials in Japan, it received pharmaceutical approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in April 2025 and was launched in September of the same year.

In recent years, vision correction options have diversified, and interest in surgical correction methods such as LASIK and intraocular contact lenses is increasing. According to data published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, contact lens users in Japan range widely from young people to middle-aged individuals, with a particularly high usage rate among those in their 20s to 40s. Against this backdrop, intraocular contact lenses are gaining attention as an option considering daily convenience, long-term costs, and future vision changes. On the other hand, the importance of correct understanding of safety and risks is also pointed out. This survey, based on such social circumstances, was conducted as an internet survey with the objective of clarifying the awareness and understanding of intraocular contact lenses among men and women aged 20-40 with vision of 0.1 or less.

Regarding the treatment method of intraocular contact lenses, over 70% of respondents (72.8%) were aware of it, and about 70% (71.9%) expressed interest in it as a treatment. Among them, women in their 20s and 30s showed a higher tendency to be interested. Reasons for high interest included feeling burdened by 'inconvenience of glasses/contacts' and 'monthly contact lens costs.' Regarding disadvantages of the treatment, 'fear of surgery' and 'safety' were frequently cited.

Q1. Awareness Survey

Regarding the treatment of intraocular contact lenses, a survey of men and women aged 20-40 with vision of 0.1 or less showed that 35.5% 'knew about it' and 37.3% had 'heard the name'.

Combining these two, 72.8% of the total respondents had some form of awareness of intraocular contact lenses, indicating that it has gained a certain level of recognition as a vision correction option.

Q2. Gender and Age-Specific Awareness Survey

Men in their 20s with vision of 0.1...