Bausch + Lomb Launches Biotrue™ ONEday Contact Lenses Made From Breakthrough HyperGel™ Material

- With Photo

- Daily Disposable Lens Provides Exceptional Vision and Comfort Even After 16 Hours of Wear

BIRMINGHAM, England, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the British Contact Lens Association's Annual Conference, Bausch + Lomb, the global eye health company, launched Biotrue™ ONEday, a premium daily disposable contact lens.  The lens is made from HyperGel™ an innovative material that has the best features of conventional hydrogels and silicone hydrogels and is the next generation of Daily Disposable material. The lens offers high water content and delivers more oxygen than a traditional hydrogel – all without the need for silicone – while maintaining the comfort of conventional hydrogels.  Biotrue™ ONEday contact lenses provide consistent, clear, comfortable vision throughout the day as this innovative, bio-inspired material helps them to retain moisture and optical shape even after hours of wear and allows oxygen to flow freely through the lens.  As a bio-inspired product, these lenses extend our Biotrue™ brand portfolio which also includes Biotrue™ multi-purpose solution.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120525/NY12915 )

Biotrue™ ONEday was created by the eye health scientists at Bausch + Lomb to be the first daily disposable lens inspired by the biology of your eye.  The bio-inspired lenses contain 78 per cent water, the same water content as the cornea, while delivering virtually the same oxygen level as the open eye.  The outer surface of the lens is designed to mimic the lipid layer of tear film, which prevents dehydration of the lens, so maintaining consistent optics and delivering the oxygen level the open eye needs to maintain healthy, white eyes.  Biotrue™ ONEday lenses provide the maximum amount of moisture of any daily disposable lens on the market today, even after 16 hours of wear.

"Patients often report that they have blurred vision at the end of the day or have to blink a few times to clear their vision when they are working on their computer.  Blurred vision can be caused by contact lenses drying out towards the end of the day, which changes the shape of the contact lens and can distort their clarity of vision," said Calvin Roberts M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer, Bausch + Lomb. "HyperGel™ helps our new Biotrue™ ONEday contact lenses mimic our own healthy tears and are proven to maintain the same moisture level as the natural eye.  This helps them retain their shape and maintain clear vision throughout the day."

"Bausch + Lomb is deeply committed to continued innovation in contact lenses and solutions, and today's introduction of Biotrue™ ONEday lenses represents another important step towards helping people see better to live better," said Sheila Hopkins, president, global Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb.

"Biotrue™ ONEday lenses are the first contact lenses to feature the revolutionary new material Hypergel™ offering contact lens wearers comfortable vision throughout the day and helping to address the unmet needs of today's contact lens wearer." 

Biotrue ONEday lenses are being introduced in Europe, initially in Italy followed by the UK and Nordics later in the year.

About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is one of the best-known and most respected healthcare companies in the world. Its core businesses include contact lenses and lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments, and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1853, the company is headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. Its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.bausch.com.

News Media Contacts:
Georgina Pinnington
Bausch + Lomb EMEA
+44-7713-340657
georgina.pinnington@bausch.com

Jane Mazur
Bausch + Lomb Vision Care
+1-585-355-5978
jane.mazur@bausch.com

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available from the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) at http://www.epa-photos.com.