A new Contact Lens material by 2009?

Implications: A new material that is easier to produce contact lenses with may decrease the cost of producing contact lenses. A major difficulty in producing today's silicone hydrogels is production costs. 

Analysis: CooperVision's silicone hydrogel contact lenses, Biofinity and Avaira have encountered cost overruns from difficulty producing the product.

Bausch & Lomb's Purevison contact lenses and Novartis's Ciba Vision O2 Optix, Air Optix, and Night & Day materials have run into patent issues in the past year.

A new material that promises easier manufactuering, and has no prior patents with good oxygen transmissability may be an opportunity for a new lens to enter the market.