Novartis' CIBA Vision Unit Launches Focus Night & Day

Contact Lenses for Up to 30 Nights' Wear BASEL, Switzerland (PROTEXT) - Novartis announced today thatits CIBA Vision eye-care unit has begun market introductions ofits revolutionary Focus(R) NIGHT & DAY(TM) high oxygen softcontact lenses that can be worn safely for up to 30 nights'extended wear. The market's first high oxygen extended wear softcontact lenses, Focus NIGHT & DAY lenses are availableimmediately in Spain and Mexico, with launches in additionalmarkets to follow soon. Focus NIGHT & DAY lenses are a major breakthrough and overcomeone of the significant barriers to safe 30-night extended wear:high oxygen transmissibility. Made of an entirely new,revolutionary material, they have the industry's highest oxygentransmissibility, allowing up to six times more oxygen to thecornea than ordinary soft contact lenses. Oxygen is critical tomaintaining eye health night and day, and is one of the majorfactors for safe, successful extended wear of soft contactlenses. Focus NIGHT & DAY lenses thus help to maintain eye healthduring overnight wear by allowing oxygen transmission to the eyeduring sleep. Glen Bradley, President and CEO of CIBA Vision, commented,"Contact lens wearers have long wanted a lens that providesaround-the-clock vision with the convenience of no lens care.Focus NIGHT & DAY lenses answer this consumer need and, with upto six times more oxygen than ordinary lenses, they can be wornsafely for up to 30 nights and help to maintain eye health." Consumer research shows that nearly half of contact lenswearers worldwide are interested in a soft contact lens that theycan sleep in overnight for up to 30 nights. Within the next five years, it is estimated that approximately15% of all contact lenses wearers will choose extended wearcontact lenses, with this new segment accounting for 20% or moreof the worldwide lens market value. Today, approximately 60million people worldwide wear contact lenses, growing to morethan 80 million by 2005. The worldwide contact lens market iscurrently valued at approximately CHF 4.2 billion and is expectedto top CHF 7.0 billion by 2005. CIBA Vision is the eye care unit of Novartis AG, a worldleader in Life Sciences with core businesses in Healthcare,Agribusiness and Consumer Health (Nutrition and Self-Medication).In 1998, Novartis Group sales were CHF 31.7 billion, of which CHF17.5 billion were in Healthcare, CHF 8.4 billion in Agribusinessand CHF 5.8 billion in Consumer Health. The group annuallyinvests more than CHF 3.7 billion in R&D. Headquartered in Basel,Switzerland, Novartis employs about 82,000 people and operates inover 100 countries around the world. Further information is available via the internet:www.cibavision.com and www.novartis.com . ots Original TextService: Novartis AG Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.deContact: Ann Berry of CIBA Vision, 770-418-3014 Web site:http://www.novartis.com Web site: http://www.cibavision.com

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