From therapeutics to advanced instrumentation to contact lens care technology, Alcon is uniquely positioned to continue our aggressive course of developing and producing the most innovative ophthalmic products and technologies.

The Corporation: -

Discover Alcon's Vision and Commitment. From our beginnings in 1945 when Robert D. Alexander and William C. Conner opened a small pharmacy in Fort Worth, to our current state as a $3 billion international pharmaceutical company, we remain committed to offering the best eye care products for professionals and consumers.

Alcon's Future: -

We will build on Alcon's unique people strengths. Alcon will remain a leader in technological innovation, continuing to provide new, unique products for the vision care practitioner.

Demand for Alcon's comprehensive product line will continue to grow as the world population ages. However, the increasing global focus on controlling health care costs, combined with international currency fluctuations brought about by unstable economies, continue to provide challenges.

Unique products have an advantage as health care costs come under greater scrutiny. In the U.S., price is a serious consideration in the undifferentiated product categories, meaning generic use will rise. Fewer physicians will maintain individual practices; group practices, preferred provider organizations or health maintenance organizations with physicians as employees or owners are expanding.

Alcon's strategy to grow in these new market conditions remains steadfast: maintain focus on eye-related products, build on our established competence, while leveraging selected opportunities in the ear (otic) arena. We will maintain our broad, full-line approach to the ophthalmic industry, offering customers the convenience of dealing with a single source for eye care products. Generic ophthalmic pharmaceuticals will remain part of our product line where strategically appropriate.

We will build on Alcon's unique people strengths. While other companies may 'reengineer' their organizations and cut costs by eliminating long-term employees, Alcon benefits from the breadth and depth of experience available in our global organizations. Our growth provides abundant opportunity for personal development, leading to high levels of team achievement and ultimately, greater success.

The company's goal is to make Alcon products available throughout the world; thus becoming the market leader in every market we serve. The lessons learned abroad where price controls have long presented business challenges have now been applied to the U.S., where health care reform is providing similar challenges.

Finally, we intend to be both the low-cost producer and the product quality leader.

Alcon was formed in 1945 and went public through a partial IPO, March 2002.

Our pharmaceutical and surgical research operations are open to new ideas. As such, our operations don't limit the possibility of potential treatments by focusing on any specific area. We welcome ideas that could help us eliminate blindness worldwide. And because we are open to improving upon our existing technology, our door remains open to those leading-edge surgeons and technology companies around the world who know eye health best.

We recognize the speed in time-to-market with vision saving technology only increases when other scientists, technologists and researchers submit their ideas for the latest in surgical therapeutic tools. As such, we welcome global licenses and co-promotion agreements for marketed compounds, preclinical compounds, clinical compounds and surgical devices and technologies related to these areas of interest:

• Cataract
• Dry Eye
• Glaucoma
• Ocular allergy and inflammation
• Ocular infections
• Otic/Nasal
• Refractive
• Retina

http://www.alcon.com/contact-alcon/in-licensing.asp