Contact lens maker Menicon Co.'s group firm has set up a wholly-owned manufacturing unit in China to boost lens production, capitalizing on strong demand in the country.

Alpha Corp., Menicon's consolidated subsidiary based in Nagoya, established Alpha (Wuxi) Co. in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, in November to make its mainstay specialty contact lenses with the aim of starting mass production in 2024, Menicon said Friday in a statement.

Alpha manufactures orthokeratology lenses -- specialty hard contact lenses with high oxygen permeability -- at its plant in Nagano Prefecture for sale in Japan and abroad, according to the statement.

Normally worn at night while sleeping, the orthokeratology lenses help reshape corneas to improve vision, enabling those undergoing the treatment to enjoy clear vision during the day, the statement said. (NNA/Kyodo)

==Kyodo

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