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Released 01/21/2003

Focus® DAILIES® Toric Receives Excellent Feedback From Patients In Switzerland Study

World's first daily disposable lens for astigmatic patients scores high for comfort, vision, handling and overall satisfaction

ATLANTA - Following the launch of Focus® DAILIES® Toric in June 2002, CIBA VISION Switzerland conducted a study1 to analyze patient response to the world's first daily disposable contact lens for patients with astigmatism. Overall, the study revealed high satisfaction, both overall and for visual clarity across a wide range of cylinder and axis conditions. Specifically, on a rating scale of 1 to 5, Focus DAILIES Toric scored at least a four for comfort, vision, handling and overall satisfaction among the patients involved in the study.

Focus DAILIES Toric received the best response from patients with a refractive cylinder power below 1.25, and among patients with a refractive axis within +/-20 degrees of the provided lens axis. However, even those patients outside of the +/-20 degree axis range rated Focus DAILIES Toric higher than a four (on a scale of 1 to 5) for visual stability both at dispensing and at follow-up.

At the conclusion of the study, 74 percent of the patients purchased the lenses and 92 percent said that they would recommend Focus DAILIES Toric to a friend, reinforcing the high patient satisfaction for the lens.

"We are very excited about the results of our study because it reinforces the idea that astigmatic patients can comfortably wear these contact lenses and now can also enjoy the added benefits of the daily disposable modality," said Matt Berman, CIBA VISION's global head of Marketing for the Focus brand. "Focus DAILIES Toric is a continuation of CIBA VISION's commitment to meet patient and practitioner demand for daily disposable lenses with a whole family of products including Focus DAILIES for spherical correction and Focus® DAILIES® Progressives lenses for presbyopia."

An extension of CIBA VISION's market-leading line of Focus® DAILIES® daily disposable contact lenses, Focus DAILIES Toric is the first contact lens in the world to offer the benefits of daily disposable lenses for patients with astigmatism. As with spherical Focus DAILIES, the lens provides excellent visual clarity for those with astigmatism and the comfort of wearing a fresh, new pair of lens everyday.

"Focus DAILIES Toric represents a great practice growth opportunity for eye care professionals as they can now offer a lens to satisfy astigmatic patients' yet unmet desires for daily disposable lenses. Previous study results2 indicate that eye care professionals may dispense this lens for a wide range of cylinder and axis corrections," said Optometrist Helmer Schweizer, head of International Professional and Marketing Services for CIBA VISION. "In addition to the study done in Switzerland, the overall response to Focus DAILIES Toric has been outstanding. Both professionals and consumers have expressed high satisfaction with the ease of fit, the lens' comfort, and visual acuity."

Focus DAILIES Toric has a back-surface toric design, combined with a double thin zone front surface, resulting in excellent quality and stability of vision. Featuring an 8.6mm base curve, the 14.2mm diameter lens is being made available in spherical powers from -0.50D to -6.00D in 0.25D steps with a -0.75D cylinder and in axis 180° and 90°. Studies show the available parameters will enable eye care professionals to fit nearly 60 percent of all astigmatic patients with myopia.

Made with nelfilcon A, the same material as spherical Focus DAILIES lenses, the new toric lenses are manufactured using CIBA VISION's state-of-the-art Lightstream Technology™, resulting in highly accurate and reproducible lenses which are essential for astigmatic patients and daily disposable lenses in general. Each lens has a consistently thin and smooth edge that provides superior comfort and handling. And, because the lens design is stable and highly reproducible, eye care practitioners can easily fit the lens with minimal chair time.

According to a recent, multi-country, external clinical study, Focus DAILIES Toric was significantly preferred over Frequency® 55 Toric and SofLens 66® Toric3 in terms of quality of vision and stability of vision.4

With worldwide headquarters in Atlanta, CIBA VISION is a global leader in research, development and manufacturing of optical and ophthalmic products and services, including contact lenses, lens care products and ophthalmic surgical products. CIBA VISION products are available in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit the CIBA VISION website at www.cibavision.com.

CIBA VISION is the eye care unit of Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS), a world leader in healthcare with core businesses in pharmaceuticals, consumer health, generics, eye care and animal health. In 2001, the Group's businesses achieved sales of CHF 32.0 billion (USD 19.21billion) and a net income of CHF 7.0 billion (USD 4.2 billion). Th Group invested approximately CHF 4.2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ about 74,000 people and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For further information, please consult www.novartis.com.

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1Study conducted from June 18, 2002 to October 25, 2002 with 82 individuals in Switzerland. Data on file.

2Sources: CIBA VISION Parameter Study and Lyle W.M. (1971). Changes in Corneal Astigmatism with Age, Archives of American Academy of Optometry. These studies documented that 74 percent of astigmatic patients can be successfully fit with cylinders -0.75D to -1.50D and approximately 80 percent of astigmatic patients can be successfully fit in lenses with axis 180° plus or minus 20° or axis 90° plus or minus 20°.

3Frequency 55 is a trademark of CooperVision, Inc. Soflens 66 is a trademark of Bausch & Lomb, Inc.

4Data on file.