Alcon to Acquire LenSx Lasers, Inc., Developer of Femtosecond Laser Technology for Increased Precision of Manual Surgical Steps during Cataract Surgery

to Acquire LenSx Lasers, Inc., Developer of Femtosecond Laser Technology for

Increased Precision of Manual Surgical Steps during Cataract

HUENENBERG, Switzerland - July 6,

2010 - Alcon, Inc. (NYSE: ACL) announced

today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire LenSx Lasers,

Inc, a privately held company that developed the first femtosecond laser to

receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for use as a part of

cataract surgery. The LenSx system is indicated for anterior capsulotomy and

laser phacofragmentation during cataract surgery, providing a complementary

surgical approach to certain manual steps within the traditional cataract

will pay US $361.5 million in cash at closing to LenSx shareholders for their

shares, plus maximum contingent payments of US $382.5 million based upon the

achievement and over-achievement of future femtosecond unit and procedure fee

revenue milestones. The closing of this acquisition is subject to receipt of

required regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

innovative LenSx laser platform enables surgeons to perform some of the most

delicate manual steps of cataract surgery with image-guided visualization and

micron level laser precision. The LenSx laser enhances a surgeon's ability to

predictably create a well centered anterior capsulorhexis of exact diameter, and

to effectively fragment the lens for removal with minimized phaco time and

complementary technology aligns with Alcon's strategic focus to help surgeons

improve every step of the cataract procedure. The LenSx laser provides surgeons

a new level of predictability and control over critical manual steps during

cataract removal - making those steps more precise and reliable," said Stuart

Raetzman, vice president, Global Marketing and area president for the United

"The LenSx femtosecond laser has been

designed to advance the precision and reproducibility of key manual portions of

the cataract procedure, something we have seen lasers do repeatedly in other

ophthalmic procedures," said Stephen Slade, M.D., Slade and Baker Vision,

Houston, TX, who performed the initial series of LenSx laser procedures in the

United States. "This laser delivered improved post-surgical refractive outcomes

for my patients with a more exact size, shape and centration of the capsulotomy

and precise centering of the intraocular lens. I was able to reduce

the phacoemulsification energy and time - further enhancing cataract surgery by

providing a safe and more accurate refractive outcome. From a

patient's perspective, I have never seen the potential benefits of a technology

so quickly understood and accepted."

are the world's leading cause of treatable blindness and cataract surgery is the

most frequently performed ophthalmic procedure globally. A cataract cannot be

prevented and is a "clouding" of the eye's natural lens, which results in

blurred or defocused vision. Cataract surgery is a simple operation where a

surgeon removes the eye's clouded natural lens and replaces it with an

artificial intraocular lens. Femtosecond lasers have been used for more than 3

million LASIK refractive surgical procedures and now the LenSx laser system

brings laser technology to cataract surgery for the first time.

Inc. is the world's leading eye care company, with sales of approximately $6.5

billion in 2009. Alcon, which has been dedicated to the ophthalmic industry for

65 years, researches, develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals,

surgical equipment and devices, contacts lens solutions and other vision care

products that treat diseases, disorders and other conditions of the eye. Alcon

operates in 75 countries and sells products in 180 markets. For more

information on Alcon, Inc., visit the Company's web site at www.alcon.com.

Lasers, Inc. is a privately held venture backed company located in Aliso Viejo,

California. Venture capital investors are Versant Ventures, SV Life

Sciences, InterWest Partners and Venture Investors.

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within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

of 1995. Any forward- looking statements reflect the views of our

management as of the date of this press release with respect to future events

and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these

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we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these

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