A new clinical study found Essilor Stellest 2.0 spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslet target (HALT)  MAX technology offer significantly higher efficacy in slowing axial elongation compared with Essilor Stellest lenses with HALT technology. 

Peer-reviewed and published in Translational Vision Science & Technology, the one-year randomised contralateral crossover clinical trial involved 50 myopic children aged 6–10 years and was conducted in Singapore. Each participant wore spectacle lenses with HALT MAX technology in one eye and the original HALT technology design in the other for six months, then switched combinations for a further six months. The primary outcome was axial length change, a key indicator of myopia progression. 

A clear dose-response relationship was observed between lenslet power and asphericity and the efficacy in slowing axial elongation, reinforcing the underlying mechanism of action of HALT MAX technology, according to authors. The study also demonstrated the ethical and effective use of contralateral crossover designs to reliably compare similar lens designs and support the enhanced clinical performance of spectacle lenses with HALT MAX technology over HALT technology, they said.  

The design of the Essilor Stellest lens is based on the hypothesis that a volume of signal is more effective at slowing myopia progression than a surface of signal, EssilorLuxottica said. In Essilor Stellest 2.0 lenses, the power and asphericity of the lenslets were increased, so the volume of non-focused light is further from the retina and spread over a wider area compared with Essilor Stellest lenses. “This design creates twice the depth of volume of non-focused light, generating a stronger optical signal that helps slow axial elongation even further – delivering twice the power [and] higher efficacy in managing myopia progression,” it said.  

Essilor Stellest 2.0 lenses are currently available in China with broader market rollouts set to begin in 2026.