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Alcon Celebrates 75 Years of Eye Care Innovation and Access with Brilliant History. Brilliant Future

May 16, 2022, marked Alcon’s 75th anniversary with its Brilliant History. Brilliant
Future celebration. On May 16, 1947, Alcon Laboratories, Inc. was incorporated and
began manufacturing specialty pharmaceutical products in Fort Worth, Texas.
Today, Alcon has complementary businesses in Surgical and Vision Care and is
headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland – a country where it has been rooted for
nearly 50 years.

To recognize this significant milestone, throughout the year, Alcon will highlight its
heritage of breakthrough innovation, industry firsts, ongoing dedication to Eye Care
Professionals (ECPs) and their patients, and commitment to increasing access to
eye care.

“When Robert Alexander and William Conner combined the first syllables of their
last names to created ‘Alcon,’ no one could have predicted that one small pharmacy
would help shape the eye care industry and grow to become the global eye care
leader we are today,” said David Endicott, Alcon CEO. “We embrace our leadership
role in the industry while staying true to the foundation our business was built on
75 years ago: cultivating meaningful insights from Eye Care Professional to address
unmet eye care needs and increasing access to eye care. Our Brilliant History gives
us the confidence to realize our Brilliant Future.”

From the introduction of the first Droptainer® eye drop dispensing bottle in 1953 to
the 1990 launch of Focus® , the first soft contact lens exclusively for periodic
replacement, to the 1994 approval of the AcrySof® IQ intraocular lens (IOL), the first
time a material had been developed specifically for an IOL, Alcon has a legacy of
cutting-edge innovation. Building on this, Alcon Research and Development and
Manufacturing teams have delivered a robust new product portfolio, including
more than 50 launches since 2018. Currently, Alcon has more than 100 pipeline
products under development to continue delivering sight-correcting and sight-
saving products and services.

Alcon is also helping people see brilliantly by expanding the availability of quality
eye care and access around the globe. This includes innovative programs that
provide free or low-cost eye care to patients in underserved communities. For
instance

  • Alcon’s Phaco Development (PD) program has been empowering surgeons to
    provide sustainable access to phaco procedures, the standard in cataract
    care, in low-to-middle income countries. Since the program’s inception 14
    years ago, approximately 5,500 Alcon PD-trained surgeons have performed
    more than 7.5 million phaco procedures.
  • Alcon Cares Project 100 reduces cataract blindness by donating phaco
    equipment to accelerate surgeon training and support patient care in
    marginalized areas worldwide.
  • Additionally, through its partners, the Alcon Foundation provides monetary
    donations to expand quality eye care and access to all. Over the last 10 years,
    the Alcon Foundation donated $42 million in monetary grants and Alcon
    Cares provided $543 million in product donations supporting more than
    6,500 medical missions.

While the eye care industry has drastically changed over the past seven decades,
Alcon’s commitment to helping people see brilliantly remains steadfast. As the
industry continues to adapt to the evolving demands of today, Alcon is proud to be
at its helm, preparing for the needs of tomorrow.

© 2022 Alcon Inc. US-VC-2200030

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