Bausch & Lomb’s Crystalens® to be Featured in Direct-to-Consumer Advertising

Baby Boomers and Seniors in Arizona, Florida, Nevada and New York Are Target Audiences for Unique Vision Correction Product

ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. -- Bausch & Lomb announces that a direct-to-consumer advertising campaign will resume today (September 14) in nine U.S. media markets to educate baby boomers and seniors about Crystalens®, the nation’s only FDA-approved accommodating intraocular lens (IOL).

Television advertising featuring Crystalens will run on national cable networks in four New York markets: Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, and New York City. In addition, the ads will be seen in Las Vegas; Phoenix, Ariz.; Tucson, Ariz.; Tampa, Fla.; and West Palm Beach, Fla. National magazine advertising is also being utilized.

Crystalens, which is a product of Bausch & Lomb, is the only FDA-approved accommodating intraocular lens. Unlike the standard cataract replacement lenses, Crystalens is designed not only to eliminate the patient’s cataract but also to provide a full range of vision so that the patient can see near, far and everywhere in between. Many Crystalens patients hardly, if ever, need their glasses or contacts after surgery.

“We know that when many +55 patients find that they can reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contacts after Crystalens surgery, they become very interested in learning more about it. The advertising encourages patients to talk to their ophthalmologist about whether they are candidates for Crystalens or to visit the Crystalens website to learn more about this exciting vision correction alternative,” said Amy Jacobs, director of Global Marketing for the Crystalens.

The advertising campaign is aimed at consumers who are 55 years old and older who are still major users of traditional mass media. In other markets around the country, the advertising campaign has generated a tenfold increase in traffic to the web site, resulting in increased sales for Crystalens.

“We are very pleased that our company has continued to invest in this direct-to-consumer campaign. Bad vision doesn’t have to be part of getting older. The Crystalens allows cataract patients the opportunity not just to fix their eyesight, but to make it better,” added Ms. Jacobs.

There are 3 million cataract surgeries every year. A cataract is a clouding on the normally clear lens in your eye. When it forms, the natural lens in the eye is replaced by an intraocular lens. The Crystalens is an intraocular lens that is designed not only to fix the patient’s cataract, but to help improve the patient’s full range of vision.

Advertising research indicated that only a small fraction of people considering cataract surgery realize that not all intraocular lenses are the same. The research also indicated that a number of patients are willing to pay a little extra money in order to get the best vision.

“Our objective is to inform the baby boomer and the senior that if they are planning to have cataract surgery, they should consider Crystalens because it provides the patient the opportunity to improve their full range of vision,” said Ms. Jacobs.

For more information about the Crystalens HD, go to www.crystalens.com or call toll free at 1-877-SEE BETTER.