Awareness Survey Conducted on Implantable Contact Lenses (Phakic Posterior Chamber Lenses) Among Men and Women in Their 20s to 40s with Visual Acuity of 0.1 or Lower

AtWorking Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 5F WORK VILLA MYJ Kanda, 1-4 Kanda Ogawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), which sells "IPCL®" (hereafter IPCL)—approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in April 2025—in Japan, has conducted a survey on implantable contact lenses targeting men and women in their 20s to 40s nationwide.

IPCL is a treatment method known as "implantable contact lenses" that corrects myopia and astigmatism by inserting a small lens into the eye. It uses an acrylic polymer material primarily composed of HEMA, which is also widely used in intraocular lenses for cataracts and standard contact lenses. Unlike LASIK, it does not involve shaving the cornea, making it a highly reversible treatment where the lens can be removed in the future. Following multi-center clinical trials in Japan, it obtained 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 corrections like LASIK and implantable contact lenses has been growing. According to data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, contact lens users in Japan range from young to middle-aged, with particularly high usage among those in their 20s to 40s. Given this context, implantable contact lenses are gaining attention as a choice for daily convenience, long-term cost-effectiveness, and adaptability to future vision changes. Meanwhile, the importance of correctly understanding safety and risks has also been emphasized. Against this social backdrop, an internet survey was conducted to clarify the awareness and level of understanding regarding implantable contact lenses among men and women in their 20s to 40s with visual acuity of 0.1 or lower.

More than 70% (72.8%) of respondents were aware of implantable contact lenses as a treatment method, and approximately 70% (71.9%) expressed interest in it. In particular, women in their 20s and 30s showed a strong interest. The primary reasons for this interest were the "inconvenience of glasses and contacts" and the burden of "monthly contact lens costs." On the other hand, many respondents cited "fear of surgery" and "safety" as concerns regarding the treatment.

Q1. Awareness Survey

In a survey of individuals in their 20s to 40s with visual acuity of 0.1 or lower regarding implantable contact lens treatment, 35.5% responded that they "know about it" and 37.3% said they "have heard the name."

Combining these two groups, 72.8% of respondents have some awareness of implantable contact lenses, indicating that the treatment has achieved a certain level of recognition as an option for vision correction.

Q2. Awareness Survey by Gender and Age

Among men and women in their 20s with visual acuity of 0.1 or lower...