Drug That Treats Leading Cause Of Blindness Wins Popular Science Award

13-Nov-2000

ATLANTA, GEORGIA and VANCOUVER, CANADA – CIBA Vision, the eye care unit of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS), and QLT Inc. (NASDAQ: QLTI; TSE: QLT) announced today that Visudyne, their breakthrough medical treatment for the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50, is a recipient of Popular Science magazine's "Best of What's New" Award in 2000.

Visudyne (verteporfin for injection) therapy, used to treat patients with a certain type of the "wet form" of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was selected by the editors of Popular Science as one of the 100 most remarkable new products, technological developments and scientific achievements of the year. The award winners will be featured in the cover story of the scientific consumer magazine's December issue.

The editors of Popular Science selected the 100 winners from thousands of products and developments in a total of 10 categories: General Technology, Home Technology, Medical Technology, Photography, Recreation, Electronics, Computers, Cars, Aviation & Space and Auto Technology. Visudyne therapy was chosen to receive the award in the area of Medical Technology.

"To be recognized by one of the world's top consumer science and technology magazines for our achievement with Visudyne caps off an already banner year for QLT and CIBA Vision," said Dr. Julia Levy, QLT's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We believe news of this award will further help inform the public about this breakthrough therapy,"

Visudyne therapy is designed to treat a certain type of wet AMD, a disease characterized by the formation of abnormal blood vessels that grow under the central part of the retina known as the macula. These vessels leak fluid and eventually cause scar tissue, which destroys central vision. Visudyne therapy is a two-step procedure that can be performed in a doctor's office. First, Visudyne is injected intravenously into the patient's arm. It is then activated by shining a non-thermal laser light into the patient's eye.

"Winning the 'Best of What's New' Award is a tremendous honor," said Dan Myers, president of CIBA Vision's North American Ophthalmics group."As the first approved drug therapy for this devastating condition, Visudyne provides new hope to many of the 200,000 Americans who lose their vision from wet AMD every year."

The winners were recognized at an awards luncheon and exhibition today, Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Tavern on the Green restaurant located in New York City's Central Park. The award recipients will also be recognized on the Popular Science Web site (www.popsci.com), where readers can vote for the Reader's Choice Award to be announced on January 5, 2001.

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