Final 2005 Varilux Ipseo Symposium Concludes In Los Angeles

10/25/2005

DALLAS -- (October 25, 2005) – Select Eye Care Professionals arrived in Los Angeles on October 6 to attend the fourth Varilux® Ipseo™ Product Symposium. Brand sales consultants met with Eye Care Professionals from the west coast to explain the benefits of the new Varilux Ipseo progressive addition lens (PAL) and the VisionPrint System™ (VPS). This symposium marks the last of four regional symposiums held in 2005 for select ECPs.

“Los Angeles will conclude our successful series of symposiums on Varilux Ipseo that have helped educate attending Eye Care Professionals on the benefits of the first custom progressive lens that is personalized for each patient’s visual behavior,” said Mike Daley, president of Essilor Lenses. “We have found these symposiums to be well received by Eye Care Professionals and we are already planning our next series and look forward to kicking them off again next year.”

Varilux Ipseo is the world's first individualized PAL, with each lens customized for each person through the integration of an individual’s physiological measures of Head and Eye movements and prescription parameters. The VPS is a diagnostic device that measures a patient's Head and Eye movements, which are then used to custom create the Ipseo lens design to optimize a patient’s field of vision. In addition to their individualized prescription and personal Head and Eye measurements, each lens features the patient's initials engraved on the lens, making Varilux Ipseo the most individualized and tailor-made lens on the market.

"The Essilor symposium was extremely helpful and educated me on the numerous benefits of Varilux Ipseo. Since I attended and received the instrument in June, our office has sold 113 pairs of Ipseo lenses and has recently prescribed many more," said Dr. Kirk Harris, optometrist, Doctors Vision Center.

Pete Hanlin, sales training and development manager, led the symposium, which included both technical and marketing presentations. The seminar topics included:

• an explanation of freeform technology and how Varilux uses this technology to optimize patient satisfaction with the launch of Varilux Ipseo;

• discussion of individualized lenses and their benefits;

• an introduction to the VisionPrint System including a demonstration of how to take patient head/eye measurements;

• shared success measures for selling Varilux Ipseo based on global launch learnings and a 2004 U.S. beta test.

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Essilor is the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States and is the market leader in progressive, high-index and anti-reflective coated lenses. A pioneer in the development and production of ophthalmic lenses, Essilor employs over 6,100 people in more than 100 facilities throughout the 50 states. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the Varilux®, Crizal®, Airwear®, Thin & Lite® and other Essilor brand names. Essilor Laboratories of America (ELOA) is the largest, and most trusted, optical lab network in the U.S. and offers a wide choice of services and lens brands, including Essilor premium lenses, to eye care professionals across the nation. Essilor of America, Inc. (Essilor) is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International, S.A., a publicly held company traded on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Reuters: ESSI.PA).

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Varilux, Crizal, Airwear, and Thin & Lite are registered trademarks and Ipseo and VisionPrint System are trademarks of Essilor International, S.A.