Ocular Sciences Introduces New Disposable Toric Soft Contact Lens; Biomedics Toric Addresses Rapidly Growing Specialty Lens Market

Business Wire, March 28, 2001

Business Editors/Medical Writers

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 28, 2001

Ocular Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCLR), a leading provider of soft contact lenses, announced the introduction of the new Biomedics(R) Toric disposable soft contact lens.

In developing the Biomedics Toric, Ocular and the Institute for Eye Research ("IER") in Sydney, Australia, collaborated on a research and development project aimed at correcting astigmatism with disposable toric soft contact lenses. As a part of that project, a rigorous benchmarking investigation of on-eye lens performance and metrology of all currently available disposable and planned replacement toric lenses was conducted. Through regression analysis, it was determined which design features were primarily responsible for toric lens performance, and, based upon the results of that research, the Biomedics Toric lens was designed so that it performs exceptionally well.

"Through our research, conducted in concert with the Institute for Eye Research in Australia, we believe that we understand as much as, if not more than, any other lens manufacturer as to why toric lenses perform the way they do," said John Fruth, Ocular's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He continued, "Utilizing the results of our research, we designed the Biomedics Toric with a view towards making it as comfortable to wear as our Biomedics 55 UV disposable spherical lens. These research efforts have also led to a number of patents which have broadened Ocular Sciences' intellectual property portfolio. The Biomedics Toric, along with the acquisition of the Essilor contact lens business, now gives Ocular Sciences one of the widest toric lens offerings available today."

Richard Franz, O. D., Ocular Sciences' Vice President of Professional Relations, explained that four key design elements contribute to the outstanding performance of the new Biomedics Toric: (1.) a horizontal iso-thickness ballast; (2.) a wide ballast band; (3.) a constant ramp angle and edge design; and (4.) a smooth and continuous surface.

Dr. Franz said, "Combining these design features brings together for the toric lens-wearing patient the benefits of excellent comfort -- equivalent to that realized by patients wearing our Biomedics 55 UV spherical lens -- and improved lens orientation and stability, which together provide enhanced comfort and improved visual stability and acuity."

Ocular Sciences will launch the new Biomedics Toric lens on a limited basis in the coming weeks.

Ocular Sciences, Inc., manufactures a broad line of high-quality, competitively priced soft contact lenses marketed directly to eye-care practitioners. The Company's lenses are brand and product differentiated by distribution channel, and Ocular Sciences' unique lens technology makes its lenses easier to handle and more comfortable to wear than those of leading competitors.

This release contains forward-looking statements, including the statement of the Company's expectations regarding timing of a new product launch. Among the important additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements are the impact of competitive products and pricing, product demand, market receptiveness to new product launches, extended manufacturing difficulties, supply interruptions, currency fluctuations, changes in the anticipated earnings of the Company and acquired contact lens operations during 2001 and other factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including recent filings of Forms 10-K and 10-Q.