Bruno Vision Care Wins 2026 MedTech Breakthrough Award

Landmark 10th Annual Awards Program Recognizes the Deseyne® Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) contact lens as the “Best New Technology Solution - Ophthalmology” Worldwide

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#ContactLenses--The Cataltheia Group and its U.S. subsidiary, Bruno Vision Care LLC, a leader in eye health innovation, today announced that its Deseyne^® daily disposable contact lens technology for presbyopia with Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) is this year’s recipient of the “Best New Technology Solution - Ophthalmology” in the 2026 MedTech Breakthrough Awards. The MedTech Breakthrough Awards program recognizes the most innovative companies, technologies, and products in the global digital health and medical technology market.

Bruno Vision Care’s technology is the first and only daily disposable soft contact lens for presbyopia with Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This innovation introduces a novel approach to treating presbyopia, a condition affecting an estimated 139 million Americans and projected to impact 2.1 billion people globally by 2030.

Presbyopia is an age-related condition that affects virtually all people over the age of 45. As the eye’s natural lens gradually loses flexibility, the ability to focus on near and intermediate objects declines.

Recognized by MedTech Breakthrough, Bruno Vision Care uses a spherical, single-vision lens to correct presbyopia. The performance is enabled by Cataltheia’s patented hyper-refractive central zone that redistributes incoming light to extend a continuous depth of focus across all distances. Unlike traditional multifocal lenses, which split light into multiple focal zones, EDOF designs maintain a continuous light distribution, helping reduce visual disturbances such as halos, glare, and starbursts.

In a randomized, double-masked study at three U.S. sites, the Deseyne (EDOF) lens demonstrated a statistically significant increase in depth of focus of +0.78 diopters compared to the control lens. Subjects achieved an average improvement of 1.6 lines at near distances and 1.5 lines at intermediate distances. Notably, improvements for patients aged 60 and older are even higher: 2.2 lines for intermediate and 2.0 lines for near vision. Deseyne daily disposable soft contact lenses for presbyopia demonstrated performance comparable to certain surgically implanted EDOF intraocular lenses, with similar or better visual acuity and depth of focus within the reported range.

“Bruno Vision Care’s Deseyne lens is a one-of-a-kind game changer in presbyopia management. Presbyopia is a condition that affects an estimated 90% of U.S. adults over 45. Extended Depth of Focus has historically been associated with surgically implanted intraocular lenses,” said Steve Johansson, managing director, MedTech Breakthrough. “Deseyne brings EDOF into a non-invasive, single-use soft contact lens for the first time. It expands functional vision without the complications of simultaneous image formation used in multifocal designs. It delivers clinically validated improvements at the distances presbyopes rely on. Congratulations to the entire Bruno Vision Care team on winning Best New Technology Solution - Ophthalmology!”

World-renowned vision scientist, researcher, and author Mark Bullimore commented on the achievement, “Bruno Vision Care has an outstanding track record of innovation in myopia and presbyopia. The prestigious MedTech Breakthrough Award is an appropriate recognition of just one of their groundbreaking technologies.”

“This advancement gives back clear vision to the world’s aging populations. We are not merely elevating the standards for presbyopia management; we are establishing them as non-negotiable. It’s an entirely new treatment path for doctors and their patients,” said Eddie Catalfamo, Co-founder and CEO of Cataltheia Group and Bruno Vision Care. “We’re honored to be recognized by MedTech Breakthrough as we continue to develop innovations in vision care built on the foundation of human biology.”

Untreated presbyopia has a significant impact on people’s health and daily lives. Research shows that uncorrected or undercorrected presbyopia can compromise safety and is associated with increased risk of falls and fractures, as well as higher rates of depression, social isolation, cognitive decline, and reduced driving performance. The burden is substantial at the global level. The World Health Organization estimates that vision impairment, including uncorrected presbyopia, results in approximately $411 billion in lost global productivity each year.

Deseyne contact lenses for presbyopia with Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) are made from a novel material called vifilcon C, which was cleared by the FDA in 2024. The material includes the biomimetic natural polymers hyaluronic acid and tamarind seed polysaccharide, which support the tear film, comfort, and wearability by providing stable hydration and consistent visual quality.

Dry eye disease expert Dr. Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO, added, “Engineering the first FDA-cleared EDOF daily disposable for presbyopic patients is significant on its own, but what stands out to me are the mucomimetic lubricants in the lens that help support all-day wearability in patients over 40.”

Now in its 10th year, the MedTech Breakthrough Awards program celebrates the world’s most innovative companies driving meaningful advancements in healthcare technology and patient outcomes.

Selected from more than 5,000 nominations worldwide, Bruno Vision Care was honored with the “Best New Technology Solution - Ophthalmology” award, recognizing a novel, biologically inspired approach rooted in Italian engineering and ingenuity.

Bruno Vision Care joins an elite group of past and present MedTech Breakthrough Award recipients including Alcon, Medtronic, IQVIA, Boston Scientific, Canon Medical Systems, CVS Health, Teladoc, Abbott, and Johnson & Johnson Vision, among others, underscoring its role among industry leaders shaping the future of medical devices, digital health, and vision care.

Deseyne daily disposable soft contact lenses for presbyopia with Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) are expected to be commercially available in the United States by the end of Q3 2026.

Eye care professionals can learn more and request early access, including diagnostic kits, through Bruno Vision Care’s professional portal at https://www.brunovisioncare.com/for-professionals.

Learn more at www.brunovisioncare.com.

About Cataltheia Group

Co-founded by Eddie Catalfamo and Vincenzo Bruno, Cataltheia Group is a medical innovation ecosystem focused on advancing biomimetic technologies inspired by natural biological systems. At the core of Cataltheia’s mission is identifying and advancing disruptive biotechnologies and removing the barriers that stand between these breakthroughs and the patients who need them most. The organization develops interdisciplinary solutions integrating biology, materials science, and artificial intelligence to deliver clinically meaningful outcomes.

About Bruno Vision Care LLC

Established in 2019 as a subsidiary of Bruno Farmaceutici, Italy’s third-largest pharmaceutical company, Bruno Vision Care LLC translates a legacy of pharmaceutical innovation into vision care through clinically validated, non-surgical technologies that advance how vision care is delivered, including presbyopia, with a focus on improving quality of life.

^© Cataltheia Group and its affiliates 2026

Laura Portanova l.portanova@brunovisioncare.com

PublicRelations@brunovisioncare.com