Alcon receives FDA approval of new multifocal intraocular lens to treat cataract patients in the United States

Novartis International AG / Alcon receives FDA approval of new multifocal intraocular lens to treat cataract patients in the United States . Processed and transmitted by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants approval of the AcrySof^® IQ ReSTOR^® +2.5 Diopter (D) Intraocular Lens (IOL) for sale in the US  

• Expands Alcon's IOL portfolio for the  correction of near, intermediate and distance vision in patients undergoing cataract surgery, with increased independence from glasses  

• More than three million cataract surgeries are performed each year in the US

Basel, Switzerland, April 16, 2015 - Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its AcrySof^® IQ ReSTOR^® +2.5 Diopter (D) Intraocular Lens (IOL) for patients undergoing cataract eye surgery who choose to address their near, intermediate, and distance vision needs at the same time. The AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +2.5 D IOL is the latest addition to Alcon's broad portfolio of intraocular lenses for cataract patients and provides an additional option to meet the visual needs of each individual patient.

"We are pleased by the FDA's decision to approve our AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +2.5 D IOL," said Sabri Markabi, Senior Vice President, Research and Development for Alcon. "This technology complements our existing AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +3.0 D IOL in the marketplace, providing more presbyopia-correcting options for ophthalmic surgeons and the patients they serve."

More than three million cataract surgeries are performed each year in the United States.[1]
Without presbyopia-correcting IOLs, most patients undergoing cataract surgery experience poor near vision requiring vision correction such as reading glasses or contact lenses. The AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +2.5 D IOL is indicated for adult patients with and without presbyopia undergoing cataract surgery who desire near, intermediate and distance vision with increased spectacle independence.