Latest News FDA Approves Alcon’s New IOL Designed for Distance Vision and Presbyopia Correction By Staff Monday, March 27, 2017 12:18 AM BASEL, Switzerland—Alcon, a leader in eyecare and a division of Novartis, announced last week that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +2.5 Multifocal Toric intraocular lens (IOL) with Activefocus optical design. The new lens is designed for patients undergoing cataract surgery who choose to address their astigmatism and presbyopia at the same time, according to Alcon’s announcement.The unique optical design of the Activefocus toric IOL provides “astigmatic cataract patients quality distance vision and an increased range of vision to potentially reduce dependence on glasses,” Alcon said. This extends the market-leading AcrySof IQ platform to a broader population of the nearly 2 million cataract patients with treatable levels of astigmatism who undergo cataract surgery each year, the company added.“Presbyopic cataract patients with astigmatism have had limited options in the past,” Sergio Duplan, Alcon’s region president of North America, said in a statement. “Alcon's Activefocus toric IOL is a breakthrough for these patients, correcting astigmatism and allowing them to achieve uncompromised distance vision with an increased range of vision at the same time."According to Alcon, Activefocus toric lenses are designed to deliver both crisp, clear distance vision and a range of vision for patients who desire less dependence on glasses. The Activefocus toric IOL is the only multifocal toric IOL in which the central portion is 100 percent dedicated to distance vision, Alcon said.In its statement, Alcon said nearly 4 million cataract surgeries are performed each year in the U.S., and more than 50 percent of those patients have treatable levels of astigmatism that could be addressed with AcrySof IQ toric IOLs[2], including the new Activefocus toric IOL.