Bausch & Lomb to Make PureVision Contact Lenses in Ireland During Appeal of Patent Lawsuit; Takes Steps to Ensure Continued Supply to Customers in Europe and Asia.

Business Editors

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 2, 2002

Bausch & Lomb (NYSE: BOL) will make its PureVision(TM) contact lenses in its plant in Waterford, Ireland, while the Company appeals a decision in a patent lawsuit that halted sales and manufacture of the lens in the United States.

The transfer of PureVision manufacturing from its U.S. plant in Rochester, New York, will allow Bausch & Lomb, during the appeals process, to continue to meet the needs of the eye care professionals who prescribe and their patients who wear PureVision lenses in Europe and Asia. About half of the Company's sales of PureVision lenses come from Europe and Asia.

The appeals process before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., could take from six-to-18 months. The appeals court declined to issue a "stay pending appeal" of the lower court's ruling that stopped U.S. sales and production of the lens.

Bausch & Lomb will use current inventories of PureVision lenses to fill overseas customer orders during the transition of manufacturing, a process expected to take up to several months.

Bausch & Lomb is appealing the June 26, 2002, ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, in favor of Wesley Jessen and its parent company, CIBA Vision, the eye care unit of Novartis AG. The case alleged that Bausch & Lomb's PureVision contact lens material infringed a patent that covers various silicone hydrogel materials for contact lenses.

"Our patented PureVision lens is the result of more than a decade of original science and an investment of more than $60 million," said Robert B. Stiles, senior vice president and general counsel of Bausch & Lomb. "Our PureVision lens does not infringe on the patent in question, and we believe the patent is invalid. We are asking the Court of Appeals to reverse the decision of the lower court and once again give hundreds of thousands of contact lens wearers in the U.S. access to the latest continuous-wear contact lens technology."

As the Company reported in its second quarter earnings release on July 25, 2002, second-half revenues and earnings will be reduced as a result of this court decision. Revenues are expected to decline in the second half of the year by approximately $10 million, and earnings per share are expected to decline in the second half of the year between $0.12 and $0.15. The earnings per share decline reflects the impact of lost margin from the sales decline as well as approximately $9 million in one-time costs associated with the transfer of manufacturing to the Waterford facility to continue the manufacture of PureVision lenses for markets outside the United States.

This news release contains, among other things, certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or the future business performance of Bausch & Lomb. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties including those concerning economic conditions, currency exchange rates, product development, enrollment and completion of clinical trials, regulatory approvals, product introductions, the financial well-being of key customers, the successful execution of marketing strategies, the continued successful implementation of its efforts in managing and reducing costs and expenses, continued positive relations with third party financing sources, as well as the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the Form 10Q for the quarter ended March 30, 2002.

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 $1.7 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. More information about the Company can be found on Bausch & Lomb's Web site at www.bausch.com. Copyright Bausch & Lomb.