Following a successful launch in Europe, ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lenses for astigmatic patients will be "officially" introduced to the U.S. market on June 22, at the AOA Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada. The response to the product in Europe has been enthusiastic.

The soft toric market, estimated to be worth close to $225 million in the U.S., represents a strong opportunity for Eye Care Professionals (ECPs).

A 1999 Gallup survey reported that only 6% of astigmatic patients wear toric contact lenses while contact lens penetration of the total vision correction population was 28%. Considering that there are 48 million astigmats in the U.S. alone, the opportunity for growth in this category is tremendous.

The ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens addresses some of the most common obstacles to toric contact lens wear reported by ECPs, including comfort and fit. "The ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens has a unique dual thin zone design and is a true innovation in toric lens technology that stands to change the category," said Phil Keefer, President, VISTAKON Americas. "While most torics are prism ballast lenses, which may not provide optimum stability and fit for many patients, our product's dual thin zone design uses both eyelids to maintain the rotational stability of the lens with every blink of the eye. While older dual thin zone designs were front toric, the ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens is a back toric, which also contributes to its rotational stability." The peripheral region has the same geometry over the entire parameter range so the fit of the lens remains constant if changes are made to its power and/or axis. The highly stable and predictable lens also provides outstanding comfort, with nearly 4 out of 5 patients who successfully completed a 2-week trial reporting that the ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens was as comfortable as spherical lens. (Continued on page 5)

Our new consumer television advertising, featuring the outstanding optics in our ACUVUE®2 Brand Contact Lens, has had very positive reviews. Highlighting that "7 out of 10 patients who wear ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses see better than 20/20" has certainly caught the attention of many contact lens wearers. ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses continue to be the #1 new fit brand in the USA!

I want to thank all of you for understanding our need to make the change in the DCPD shipping policy. I have spoken with many of you about the business factors that led to this change. It is my belief that most, if not all of you, would have agreed with this policy change if you were in my seat on the VISTAKON® Americas Management Board. I appreciate your willingness to continue partnering with us.

June promises to be an exciting month as we nationally launch the ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens! We have heard many positive things from our clinical investigators. There is high expectation that this lens will meet the needs of many patients who need a contact lens with an astigmatic component.

"Finally, a bifocal contact lens that really works! The ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL Contact Lens has solved our presbyopic contact lens problems. In nearly 20 years of looking for a lens with consistent, reproducible results, nothing has come close to the ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL Contact Lens. Having diagnostic lenses with hundreds of parameters, practically any patient can be examined, trial fitted, evaluated and dismissed for follow-up. Our success rate has increased to over 70% and climbing!"

Steve Gradowski, O.D.
Omaha Primary Eye Care
Omaha, Nebraska

"The two new specialty lenses from VISTAKON® are outstanding! The ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL Contact Lens is the first and only bifocal contact lens that's been successful in my office. Patients come back happy, re-order their lenses and refer their friends. The ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens is stable, comfortable, high quality and easy to fit. Presbyopic and astigmatic patients don't have to accept compromise anymore!"

Joan Ploem Miller, O.D.
Baseline Vision Clinic
Hillsboro, Oregan

The ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens is a fantastic contact lens which provides our practice the ability to fit most astigmatic patients within the available parameters. The dual thin zone stabilization design provides an extremely accurate and predictable fit with very little rotation. I have been personally wearing the lens since we obtained the diagnostic set. Each lens provides excellent comfort and 100% reproducibility every two weeks. Due to its high oxygen transmissibility, extreme comfort, consistency in reproducibility and healthy two-week replacement regimen, I am using this lens design as my first choice to all qualified patients in my practice. With the inclusion of the $20 consumer rebate for Doctor Controlled Patient Delivery orders of 2 to 4 multipacks, patients are thrilled at the low cost of two-week toric contact lenses!

Brian A. Kahn, O.D.
Kahn Eye Group
Atlanta, Georgia

"We wanted to take a moment to thank VISTAKON® for bringing the ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL Contact Lens to market. Of all the bifocal contact lenses we have worked with, this is one of the best. Patients really appreciate the convenience of disposability and we, as doctors, really like the convenience of having trial lenses on hand. We have found that a minimum explanation, followed by a "test drive" in the office, answers most questions, saving us valuable chair time. In addition, this helps overcome much of the financial and emotional apprehension patients experienced previously when offered the opportunity to order a pair of conventional bifocal lenses for $300-400. These patients provide more referrals than any other subgroup in our practice.

Bobby Grigsby, O.D.
Bonnie Aiken Grigsby, O.D.
Optometric Eye Care Center
Statesville, North Carolina

When ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses are replaced at intervals ranging from one day to two weeks, the risk of developing giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) may be reduced. This claim, submitted by VISTAKON®, was recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for inclusion in all ACUVUE® Brand product labelling. The claim is based on a study¹ published in the July 1999 issue of the CLAO Journal showing that replacing soft contact lenses at intervals of three weeks or less results in a lower incidence of GPC.

"Eye Care Professionals who fitted soft contact lenses in the 1970s and 1980s will never forget what a nightmare GPC was due to the relentless build-up of surface deposits combined with notoriously poor cleaning regimen compliance by their patients," said George W. Mertz, O.D., F.A.A.O., Director of Academic Affairs. "That began to change after VISTAKON® introduced the disposable lens in 1987. The retrospective study conducted by Porazinski and Donshik simply confirms what so many clinicians have shared with us anecdotally over the past decade."

The results of the study showed a connection between contact lens replacement schedule and the development of GPC. Patients who wore lenses at intervals shorter than four weeks showed significantly lower risk of developing GPC than patients who replaced their lenses at intervals of four weeks or longer.

The FDA’s clearance for VISTAKON® to use this claim underscores the importance of frequent replacement of less than 4 weeks in minimizing the risk of GPC and reinforces our confidence in only offering products recommended for two weeks or less replacement as being in the best interest of your patients’ healthy contact lens wear. AN

¹ Porazinski AD, Donshik PC: Giant papillary conjunctivitis in frequent replacement contact lens wearers: a retrospective study. CLAO J 1999; 25(3):142-147.

VISTAKON® recently sponsored the production of an educational audio tape called "Better Than 20/20." On the tape, Howard Purcell, O.D., F.A.A.O., Director of Professional Affairs, moderated a discussion on contact lens visual performance.

According to Dr. Purcell, "Two well known and highly regarded optometric educators from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry participated in the taped discussion. They are Chris Snyder, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O., Professor of Optometry and Director of the Cornea and Contact Lens Service and William J. Benjamin, O.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.O., Professor of Optometry and Physiological Optics and Director of Clinical Eye Research."

In addition to general discussions about how the visual performance of today’s contact lens products compare to other vision correction options such as spectacles and refractive surgery, the participants also reviewed the results of a VISTAKON®-sponsored clinical study which demonstrated that more than 70% of patients fitted with ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses by a group of ECPs achieved better than 20/20 vision.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION INCLUDE:

The doctors conclude that Eye Care Professionals and patients can both benefit when contact lenses are presented as a viable option for achieving the best possible vision.

The audio tape was recently distributed to VISTAKON® customers. A transcript of the tape is available and can be downloaded from the VISTAKON® website www.acuvue.com.

PLEASE NOTE:
THE TELEPHONE NUMBER ON THE TAPE/TAPE BOX IS INCORRECT. THE CORRECT NUMBER IS 1-877-334-EYES (3937).

New VISTAKON® television ads use a scientific approach that is already motivating consumers to visit Eye Care Professionals (ECPs). The 30-second commercials for ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses and ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL Contact Lenses, launched in April, emphasize the products' performance and technically-advanced features.

"The campaign's message was developed to address misconceptions uncovered in recent research commissioned by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.," stated Robert Maiolo, Vice President of Marketing. ECPs received information about the campaign before it began airing on national network and cable television.

The ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lens ad tells consumers that 7 out of 10 patients, who wear ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses, are able to obtain better than 20/20 vision with the product.

That attention-grabbing fact counters the misconception many consumers have that other vision correction options like laser vision correction result in better vision than contact lenses. The claim is supported by clinical research on the visual acuity performance of ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses. The ad for ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL Contact Lenses shows viewers the effects of the product’s five vision zones and emphasizes the advanced science behind the lenses.

Both ads feature actor Sean Bean, who has appeared in films such as Patriot Games and Ronin. The tagline, "ACUVUE®. Advancing the Science of Sight^TM", sets a new tone for the ACUVUE® Brand that reinforces with consumers the advanced technology involved with making ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses, as well as the brand’s leadership position in the category.

Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare division is teaming up with some of the Web's biggest "e-tailers" to help consumers choose appropriate gifts for loved ones suffering from various ailments.

The site, www.GetWell.com, features selections from www.barnesandnoble.com and www.1-800-flowers.com.

Users select from a list of conditions and enter the patient's age and relationship. The site then supplies a list of gifts suitable for that patient and gives consumers the ability to order a gift online. In addition, the site, which was developed in conjunction with the National Alliance for Caregiving, offers information on a wide variety of diseases and conditions.

Another advantage of the ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens is its oxygen transmissibility, the industry’s highest for a toric lens. The lens is offered at launch in 1,350 parameters and is meeting the ACUVUE® Brand standard for reproducibility, a key trait ECPs have always appreciated from ACUVUE® Brand products. This reproducibility is made possible by VISTAKON's Stabilized Soft Molding technology which takes the guesswork out of fitting and saves time for professionals and their patients. Initial market tests show the lens can be fitted with a chair time of about 10 minutes. Ninety percent of the test market ECPs reported patients were satisfied with the visual acuity of the lens at their initial visit.

Diagnostic display units and sales aids for the lenses have been well received in the European market, and will be provided to a limited number of ECPs in June 2000. Additional kits will be available in 2001. Doctor Controlled Patient Delivery orders of 2 or more multipacks will include a $20 consumer rebate coupon. The lenses will be provided in 12 lens multipacks, a 6 month supply when prescribed for 2-week frequent replacement.

"The ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens enhances the portfolio of quality contact lens products offered by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.," said Keefer. "With the U.S. launch, we expect to establish the ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens as the leading toric lens worldwide. Now, VISTAKON® meets all the fundamental contact lens requirements of the ECP with ACUVUE® 2 Brand, ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL, 1•DAY ACUVUE® Brand and ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lenses." AN

"The peripheral region of the ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens has the same geometry over the entire parameter range so the fit of the lens remains constant if changes are made to its power and/or axis."

HPR (Health Products Research) Topline Data results for First Quarter 2000 showed VISTAKON® with a 29.7% share of new soft contact lens fits, a gain of 3.5 points compared to First Quarter 1999. By comparison, the nearest competitor in the category posted a 16.7% share, a decline of 2.9 points compared to the same period last year.

VISTAKON® claimed more than half of the new fits in four categories:

(Note: HPR classifies all contact lenses replaced at intervals of 2 weeks or less as disposable contact lenses regardless of wearing modality.)

In the soft contact lens new fits category, ACUVUE® 2 Brand Contact Lenses earned a 13.2% share for the quarter, while ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses had an 8.7% share. These were the #1 and #2 products in the category. In total disposable contact lens new fits, ACUVUE® 2 Brand had a 22.4% share and ACUVUE® Brand had a 14.7% share.

"VISTAKON® is entering the contact lens peak season with momentum, and our strong television advertising campaign should fuel further category and brand growth. We are rolling out ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lenses, which offer the ACUVUE® Brand benefits of comfort, visual acuity and reproducibility in a toric disposable contact lens," states David Smith, Vice President, Sales, VISTAKON® Americas.

VISTAKON'S Professional Affairs Consultation Team is comprised of six experienced Eye Care Professionals (ECPs) who can assist in prescribing all of the ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses. "This is another opportunity for ECPs to grow their practices and benefit from the experience of colleagues," says Howard B. Purcell, O.D., F.A.A.O., Director of Professional Affairs and Consultation Team Leader. "In fact, a survey of randomly selected accounts showed substantial sales growth for those who had interacted with one of the consultants."

The team was formed to help ECPs increase their specialty lens success with the ACUVUE® Brand BIFOCAL Contact Lens and now with the ACUVUE® Brand TORIC Contact Lens. The consultants provide support through one-on-one discussions, group conference calls and through immediate consultation while patients are in the chair.

Discussion between practitioner and consultants has led to greater success in prescribing results. Purcell says,"These ECPs are interested in learning more about how to make their practices even better."

If you have not had a chance to interact with a member of the Professional Affairs Consultation Team, you are invited to call 1-877-334-3937 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST.

THE PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS CONSULTATION TEAM:

Jane Baldwin, C.O.A., N.C.L.C.(AC), F.C.L.S.A.
Nancy Barr, O.D., F.A.A.O.
George Ehlert, O.D., M.S., CDR., RET.
Glen Knezich, O.D., M.S.
Paige Pantall, C.O.A., A.B.O.C., N.C.L.C.
Jon Walker, O.D., M.S