The accolade arrives just over a year after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted De Novo market authorization to the lenses in September 2025. This regulatory milestone established them as the first and only spectacle lenses in the United States specifically cleared to address the worsening of childhood nearsightedness. The product previously secured FDA Breakthrough Device designation in 2021, signaling its shift from an experimental concept to a standard of care.
TIME Names Essilor Stellest Among Best Inventions of 2026
With nearly 5 billion people projected to be myopic by 2050, the global demand for effective childhood intervention has reached a critical threshold. TIME magazine has now recognized Essilor Stellest lenses in its 2026 Best Inventions list, highlighting their clinical role in slowing myopia progression among pediatric patients.
Arnaud Ribadeau Dumas, head of Product & Marketing Optical Categories at EssilorLuxottica, stated that the recognition serves as a validation of the company's long-term research efforts. By utilizing highly aspherical lenslets, the technology provides a measurable alternative to standard single-vision lenses, which do not address the physiological progression of the condition. As myopia continues to accelerate among younger populations, the industry is increasingly emphasizing early diagnosis and evidence-based management to mitigate long-term ocular health risks for the next generation.
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