Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP Announces Expanded Class Period in Class Action Lawsuit against Bausch & Lomb, Inc.

NEW YORK -- Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP ("Lerach Coughlin") (http://www.lerachlaw.com/cases/bauschandlomb/) today announced that an amended complaint has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of purchasers of Bausch & Lomb, Inc. ("Bausch & Lomb") (NYSE:BOL) publicly traded securities during the period between January 27, 2005 and April 10, 2006 (the "Class Period").

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 12, 2006. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff's counsel, William Lerach or Darren Robbins of Lerach Coughlin at 800/449-4900 or 619/231-1058, or via e-mail at [e-mail]. If you are a member of this class, you can view a copy of the complaint as filed or join this class action online at http://www.lerachlaw.com/cases/bauschandlomb/. Any member of the purported class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

The complaint charges Bausch & Lomb and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Bausch & Lomb engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of eye health products.

During the Class Period, defendants made positive but false statements about, among other things, Bausch & Lomb's results and business, while concealing material adverse information about the true nature of the Company's revenues, the lack of adequate internal controls and the underpayment of taxes resulting in tens of millions of dollars in penalties, which ultimately resulted in the restatement of the Company's financials over a period of five years. Additionally, the Company failed to disclose that, in November 2005, it was contacted by health authorities in Hong Kong that the Company's contact lens solution was causing a rare eye infection among users.

On December 22, 2005, after the markets closed, the Company provided an update on an internal investigation related to its Brazil subsidiary and announced that it would restate its financial results for 2000 through the first half of 2005.

On this disclosure, Bausch & Lomb's stock price dropped to as low as $71.54 per share, a 9% decline from the previous trading day's close - the equivalent of a $374 million market capitalization loss. However, according to the complaint, prior to these revelations of accounting fraud the Company's top officers and directors illegally reaped over $29 million in insider trading proceeds.

Subsequently, on March 31, 2006, after the markets closed, the Company announced that it was collaborating in a scientific investigation with health authorities to determine the extent and cause of an increase in a rare fungus infection among contact lens wearers that first surfaced in certain parts of Asia. At that time, the Company stated that the eye infections were "not related to a specific contact lens or lens-care product."

Then, on April 10, 2006, after the markets closed, the Company announced that it was temporarily suspending U.S. shipments of ReNu(R) with MoistureLoc(R) produced at its Greenville, S.C., manufacturing facility in order to facilitate the further investigation of reports of fungal keratitis infections among contact lens wearers in the United States. Although it had evidence which suggested otherwise, the Company declared that the "source of these infections has not been determined."

Upon this shocking news, on the next trading day, shares of the Company's stock plummeted, falling $8.41 per share, or almost 15%, to close at $49.03 per share, on extraordinary trading volume.

Following these disclosures, on April 13, 2006, the Company asked U.S. retailers to remove ReNu(R) with MoistureLoc(R) from their shelves temporarily, and recommended that consumers switch to another lens care solution for the time being, until the investigation of reports of fungal keratitis infections among contact lens wearers in the United States is concluded.

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all purchasers of Bausch & Lomb publicly traded securities during the Class Period (the "Class"). The plaintiff is represented by Lerach Coughlin, which has expertise in prosecuting investor class actions and extensive experience in actions involving financial fraud.

Lerach Coughlin, a 180-lawyer firm with offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Boca Raton, Washington, D.C., Houston, Philadelphia and Seattle, is active in major litigations pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States and has taken a leading role in many important actions on behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and companies, as well as victims of human rights violations. Lerach Coughlin lawyers have been responsible for more than $20 billion in aggregate recoveries. The Lerach Coughlin Web site (http://www.lerachlaw.com) has more information about the firm.