Bausch & Lomb and Muro Pharmaceutical Partner to Promote Optivar, New Ocular Anti-Allergic Medication.

Business & Medical Writers

ROCHESTER, N.Y.& TEWKSBURY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2000

OptivarTM (Azelastine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution) 0.05%

Provides a New Treatment Option for

Itching of the Eye Associated with

Allergic Conjunctivitis in Patients 3 Years of Age and Older

Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (NYSE:BOL) and Muro Pharmaceutical, Inc., an ASTA Medica Company, today announced the execution of a U.S. co-promotion agreement for Muro's OptivarTM (Azelastine HCl Ophthalmic Solution) 0.05%. Product approval was recently granted by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of itching of the eye associated with allergic conjunctivitis in adults and children three years of age and older.

Optivar(TM) is a prescription antihistamine product with mast cell stabilizing properties and will compete in the fast growing, over $150 million, ophthalmic allergy marketplace.

Following this summer's launch to U.S. retail and wholesale trade accounts by Muro's Corporate Accounts group, Bausch & Lomb's pharmaceuticals sales force will begin promoting Optivar(TM) to U.S. ophthalmologists and optometrists this fall. Early in 2001, before the major spring allergy season, Muro's 200-person sales force will target its existing audience of allergists and primary care physicians.

David Jarosz, Bausch & Lomb's president of North American Pharmaceuticals, said, "Bausch & Lomb has been building its ophthalmic allergy portfolio for a number of years. With our over-the-counter Opcon-A(R) product, our mast cell stabilizer Crolom(R), our next generation steroid Alrex(R), and now Optivar(TM), B&L can offer eye-care clinicians a full spectrum of choices when it comes to treating allergic conjunctivitis. Optivar(TM) further strengthens our portfolio as we continue to aggressively compete in this fast growing market segment."

Colin Stewart, Muro's president and CEO, stated, "As our partner for promoting Optivar(TM) to U.S. eye-care specialists, we are delighted to be teamed with Bausch & Lomb, a global leader in eye-care products. Ophthalmologists are the highest prescribing group in the Optivar(TM) market, so Bausch & Lomb's expertise and relationships will contribute greatly to maximizing our mutual success."

Azelastine hydrochloride is a relatively selective histamine H1 antagonist/mast cell stabilizer and an inhibitor of the release of histamine and other mediators from cells involved in the allergic response. The unique characteristics of OptivarTM include a rapid onset of action (within three minutes) and a long duration of effect (approximately eight hours) with a twice daily dosing. The product has been on the market in Europe for more than a year and it has enjoyed considerable market acceptance. The most commonly reported adverse events in controlled studies, where patients were treated for up to 56 days, were transient eye burning and stinging, headaches and bitter taste. The occurrence of these events was generally mild.

Muro Pharmaceutical, Inc., located in Tewksbury, Mass., is a United States subsidiary of ASTA Medica AG, a research based, international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Germany. ASTA Medica AG is a 900 million dollar a year company with leading products in the fields of anticancer drugs, central nervous system agents, and respiratory therapies. The ASTA Medica group is represented with its own subsidiaries and agents in 47 countries.

Bausch & Lomb Incorporated is the preeminent global technology-based healthcare company for the eye, dedicated to helping consumers see, look and feel better through innovative technology and design. Its core businesses include soft and rigid gas permeable contact lenses, lens-care products, ophthalmic surgical and pharmaceutical products. The company is advantaged with some of the most respected brands in the world starting with its name, Bausch & Lomb(R), and including SofLens(TM), PureVision(TM), Boston(R), ReNu(R), Storz(R) and Technolas(TM). Founded in 1853 in Rochester, N.Y., where it continues to have its headquarters, the company has annual revenues of approximately $1.8 billion and employs approximately 12,000 people in more than 50 countries. Bausch & Lomb products are available in more than 100 countries around the world. Additional information about the company can be found on Bausch & Lomb's Worldwide Web site at http://www.bausch.com.