IU School of Optometry alum Xin Hong, PhD’01, FAAO, was part of a research and development team that won a Prix Galien Award for Best Medical Technology in October at the annual Prix Galien Awards Gala. The ceremony commemorated the last 50 years of innovations that have improved the human condition.
Dr. Hong co-invented and led the technical development of Alcon’s AcrySof IQ PanOptix Trifocal Intraocular Lens (IOL). The devices are designed to provide a combination of improved near, immediate, and distance vision, significantly reducing the wearer’s need for glasses after surgery.
“The PanOptix is a trifocal intraocular lens that provides the opportunity of spectacle independence after cataract surgery,” explains Dr. Hong, a Distinguished Fellow and Head of Intraocular Lens Research and Development at Alcon. “It gained great popularity since its launch and became the first choice of presbyopia-correcting IOL for many patients. I also heard lots of great comments from optometrists on this product.”
The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes, and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve the state of human health. The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the U.S. for the Prix Galien, an international awards program dedicated to progress through innovative medicines development. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research.
Leave a Reply