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Biotrue™: A Unique Concept In Lens Care Launches in Europe

Bio-inspired Contact Lens Solution Formulated to Work Like Your Eyes

Kingston, UK – 31 May 2010 Today Bausch + Lomb launched Biotrue™, a multi-purpose solution inspired by the biology of your eyes™ within Europe. A unique concept in lens care, Biotrue™ multi-purpose solution is bio-inspired to work like the eyes to help lenses stay clean and moist throughout the day.

Biotrue™ was developed following intensive study on how the eye naturally works to clean, hydrate and keep itself healthy. It has exceptional disinfection properties¹ and is formulated to work like the eyes with three bio-inspired innovations that are almost as remarkable as the eye itself. Firstly, it is pH-balanced to match healthy tears helping to maintain the eye’s natural condition and enabling optimal activation of Biotrue’s™ dual disinfectants.². In clinical trials 81% of patients who tried the solution said it felt like their natural tears.³

The second innovation is the use of hyaluronan, a natural lubricant found in the body and in the eye. This helps attract water to envelop lenses in a moisture-rich cushion and to stabilise the tear film and reduce friction⁴. Even after 20 hours a high level of hyaluronan has been shown to remain on both hydrogel and silicone-hydrogel lenses, helping to provide all day comfort.⁵ The third innovation is how Biotrue™ multi-purpose solution keeps certain beneficial tear proteins active longer.⁶ It surrounds and protects lysozyme, a protein found in tears, helping to maintain its natural antimicrobial activity and prevent denaturisation.⁷

Additionally, Biotrue™ lifts and dissolves denatured proteins. Testing has shown that Biotrue™ maintains over 13 times more active lysozyme than other solutions.⁷ A study has also shown that 90% of patients said that Biotrue™ multi-purpose solution kept their lenses feeling clean throughout the day.⁸

“Some of the best ideas can start with nature’s inspiration. Eyes that are healthy continually create the perfect environment. Biotrue™ is the result of taking a close look at how it achieves this and creating a lens care solution that works like the eyes,” said Cheryl Donnelly, Medical Affairs Manager, EMEA Vision Care at Bausch + Lomb. “This has resulted in a lens care solution that offers both exceptional disinfection and maintaining homeostatis ensuring lens remain clean and comfortable."

Biotrue™ multi-purpose solution exceeds FDA/ISO stand-alone procedure for disinfecting products.¹ It also has been tested against a broad range of bacteria and fungi, collected from clinically worn lenses, lens cases and infected eyes.¹ It achieves consistently high log reductions against staphylococcus aureus, MRSA and fusarium solani.⁹It is also effective against acanthamoeba cysts and tryphozoites.⁹

Biotrue™ employs principles of biomimetics, which seeks inspiration from the natural world to potential solutions to technological, biomedical or industrial challenges. Biomimetic research has led to the development of products in a variety of industries including cosmetics, skin care, health and beauty. Examples of successful developments include self-cleaning materials based on the water-repellant properties of the lotus flower and adhesives for closing wounds found on Gecko lizards’ feet.

“The development of Biotrue™ is the result of Bausch + Lomb’s commitment to developing innovations eye health,” said Adam Woolf, Marketing Director, Bausch + Lomb EMEA., Vision Care. “We are very excited to be able to launch the first truly new lenscare solution in five years and one that is based on the emerging global trend of biomimetics, which has the potential to provide improvements,impacting our health and maximising our functions and performance.

From October 2010, Biotrue™ multi-purpose solution will be available within Europe. Biotrue™, featuring a clear bottle that allows you to track how much solution remains, comes in a range of sizes.

Biotrue™ is the newest in Bausch + Lomb’s portfolio of lens care products that also includes renu^® and renu^® sensitive™.

About Bausch + Lomb

Bausch + Lomb is dedicated to bringing visionary ideas to eye health. Its core businesses include contact lenses and lens care products, and ophthalmic surgical and pharmaceutical products. The Bausch + Lomb name is one of the best known and most respected healthcare brands in the world. Founded in 1853, the Company is headquartered in Rochester, N.Y. Its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information about the company can be found at www.bausch.com.

®/TMdenote trademarks of Bausch &Lomb Incorporated.

For more information please contact:

Georgina Pinnington
EMEA PR Manager, Vision Care
Tel: +44 20 8781 5709
Email: georgina.pinnington@bausch.com

References:

[1] Data on file 2009. ISO/FDA Stand Alone Procedure for Disinfecting Products of BPZ02 Multi-Purpose Solution With and Without Organic Soil
[2] Rysell A.D. Factors Influencing the activity of anti-microbila agents; an appraisal.Micobios 1974,151-74
[3] Data on file 2009. A 14-investigator, multi-site study assessing patient experience of using Biotrue or Opti-Free Replenish in subjects wearing a variety of silicone hydrogel lenses
[4]LernerL, et al. Hyaluronan and CD44 in the human cornea and limbal conjunctiva: Letter to the editor. Exp Eye Res 1998:67:481-4
[5]Results of in vitro study performed to evaluate the rate of release of hyaluronan from both traditional hydrogel (Bausch + Lomb SofLens®38 contact lenses, SofLens For Astigmatism lenses, and Vistakon ACUVUE 2) and silicone hydrogel contact lenses (Bausch + Lomb PureVision® contact lenses, Vistakon ACUVUE Oasys, Vistakon ACUVUE Advance, CIBA O2OPTIX, CIBA Night & Day, and CooperVision Biofinity) over a 20-hour time period.
[6] Data on file 2009. Protein Removal Study with Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution
[7] Data on file 2009 Evaluation of Lysozyme of BL-3100-BPZ02 Versus Competitive Multi-Purpose Solutions for Soft Contact Lenses
[8] Data on file 2009. Results of in vitro study to evaluate the ability of multipurpose solution disinfection efficacy against Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites and cysts.
[9] Data on file 2009[1] Data on file 2009. ISO/FDA Stand Alone Procedure for Disinfecting Products of BPZ02 Multi-Purpose Solution With and Without Organic Soil