Myopia, or nearsightedness, affects nearly half of young adults in some countries and is becoming more common worldwide. Standard treatment is glasses or contact lenses, but researchers are now testing ways to slow myopia progression in children, which matters because high myopia increases the risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, and vision loss later in life.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing low-dose atropine eye drops, special contact lenses and glasses that alter how light focuses on the retina, and orthokeratology lenses worn overnight. Studies also look at time spent outdoors and screen use patterns. For adults with high myopia, research focuses on preventing and treating complications like myopic macular degeneration.
Atropine eye drops
Low-dose atropine slows myopia progression in children by about 50 percent in many studies. The concentration matters—lower doses cause fewer side effects while still providing benefit.
Optical interventions
Special contact lenses and glasses create peripheral defocus that may signal the eye to stop lengthening. Several designs are now available or in trials, with some showing 30–60 percent reduction in progression.
Myopic macular degeneration
For adults with high myopia, researchers are testing treatments borrowed from age-related macular degeneration, including anti-VEGF injections. The goal is to slow vision loss from abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina.
What to know before you search
Eligibility for myopia control trials typically depends on age (usually 6–16 years), degree of myopia, rate of progression, and absence of other eye conditions.
What types of trials are currently open
- Myopia control trials — Testing atropine drops, special contact lenses, or orthokeratology in children to see if they slow the rate at which myopia worsens over one to three years.
- Optical device trials — Comparing different contact lens or eyeglass designs that alter peripheral vision to control eye growth in children.
- Combination therapy trials — Testing whether combining atropine with optical interventions works better than either alone for slowing myopia progression.
- Complication prevention trials — Studies in adults with high myopia testing treatments to prevent retinal damage, glaucoma, or macular degeneration.
- Behavioral studies — Observational research tracking outdoor time, screen use, and reading distance to understand what environmental factors drive myopia in children.
Recently added Myopia trials
Complete an eye screening to identify early nearsightedness risk
Screening for hyperopic reserve among senior kindergarten children is an important population-based eye health measure. Hyperopic reserve refers to physiological hyperopia in young children, which acts as a natural buffer against myopia development. This screening aims to identify children with insufficient hyperopic reserve at an early stage, providing information for implement targeted myopia prevention interventions, and reduce the risk of subsequent myopia onset and progression.
Try dual-focus contact lenses and complete sports vision tests
The purpose of the study is to compare the hand-eye coordination and sports vision performance in participants while they are wearing their habitual contact lenses versus while wearing the dual-focus multifocal contact lenses.
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