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VisionCare Announces Upcoming Macular Degeneration Clinical Trial Presentations at American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting

Phase II/III trial completes one-year follow-up

Saratoga, CA - October 19, 2004 - VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., focused on the development of proprietary visual prosthetic devices for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other central vision disorders, announced today the following presentations are scheduled at the upcoming Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) in New Orleans, LA, October 23-26, 2004.

The three oral presentations include interim Phase II/III and final Phase I data presentations from VisionCare's prospective, multicenter macular degeneration clinical trials of the Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT™ by: Dr. Isaac Lipshitz).

Phase II/III 6-month interim data paper presentations:
*Anterior segment focus presentation in the Potpourri Free Papers session
Phase II/III Trial of a Visual Prosthetic Device for the Treatment of Central Visual Loss Due to Macular Degeneration. Sunday, October 24. Morial Convention Center, Room 391. Senior Author: Paul R. Lichter, MD, F. Bruce Fralick Professor and Chair, University of Michigan Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Director, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center.

*Retina focus presentation in the Retina/Vitreous Free Paper session
An Implantable Miniature Telescope for the Treatment of Moderate to Profound Vision Loss Due to Macular Degeneration. Monday, October 25. Morial Convention Center, Room 391. Senior Author: Jeffrey S. Heier, MD, Vitreoretinal Specialist, Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Boston, MA.

Final Phase I results from American Journal of Ophthalmology publication:
*Selected for presentation in the Editors' Choices session
A Prospective Multicenter Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Implantable Miniature Telescope. Sunday, October 24. Morial Convention Center, Room 394. Senior Author: Stephen S. Lane, MD, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Minnesota.

VisionCare also announced that the Phase II/III trial one-year follow-up, required for the visual acuity efficacy endpoint, has been completed. The Company plans to file a Premarket Approval (PMA) application for its investigational visual prosthetic device with the FDA in the first half of 2005.

"We are very pleased with the progress of the pivotal trial of our telescope implant for the treatment of moderate to profound visual impairment in individuals suffering from end-stage AMD," commented Allen W. Hill, VisionCare's President and CEO. "Our investigational sites have done a first-class job executing the trial on this novel device, and we look forward to submitting our request for regulatory approval."

In October 2003, VisionCare completed patient enrollment of 218 patients at over 25 leading medical universities and ophthalmic centers into its US Phase II/III pivotal trial for untreatable late-stage AMD (end-stage AMD) and Stargardt's macular dystrophy.

The ongoing Phase II/III trial is assessing the safety and efficacy of its recently developed wide angle telescope implant in individuals with moderate to profound bilateral central vision impairment associated with end-stage AMD. Phase I trial results demonstrated that one year after implantation, 77% (10/13) of patients gained two or more lines of distance or near visual acuity and 62% (8/13) of patients gained three or more lines (a doubling) of visual acuity as measured on a standard (ETDRS) eye chart. The most common complication was transient inflammation.

The telescope implant is a visual prosthetic device designed to be a permanent solution for moderate to profound vision loss due to macular degeneration. Smaller than a pea, this device is implanted in one eye in an outpatient surgical procedure. In the implanted eye, the device renders enlarged central vision images over a wide area of the retina to help improve central vision, while the non-operated eye provides peripheral vision for mobility and orientation.

About Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is a disorder of the retina, the thin light-sensing layer lining the back of the eye. The condition affects the central retina, or macula, which is responsible for detailed vision that controls important functional visual activities like reading, recognizing faces, and watching television. Peripheral, low-resolution vision is spared. AMD affects over 15 million Americans to some degree. Individuals with late-stage AMD have varying degrees of central vision loss, ranging from mild to profound. According to the National Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness America, over 1.6 million Americans over age 50 suffer from late-stage AMD, which culminates as end-stage AMD. Approximately 800,000 individuals with late-stage AMD are affected in both eyes.

AMD occurs in two forms, "dry" and "wet," both of which result in end-stage AMD. Dry AMD results in varying levels of central vision impairment, which develops gradually over time. As dry AMD progresses to its end stage, it results in irreversible deterioration of the macula, or geographic atrophy, with associated irreversible visual impairment in one or both eyes. Wet AMD is also a late stage of the disease, caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels under the macula. It can cause rapid central vision loss and may eventually lead to a disciform scar (end-stage wet AMD), resulting in a permanent loss of central vision in one or both eyes. Stargardt's disease, a less common type of macular degeneration, typically surfaces before the age of 20. This disease causes a progressive loss of central vision in both eyes, but does not affect peripheral vision.

About VisionCare
VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Saratoga, CA, is a privately held company involved in the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of innovative and proprietary visual prosthetic devices for the treatment of macular degeneration and other vision disorders. The Implantable Miniature Telescope was invented by company founders, Dr. Isaac Lipshitz and Yossi Gross. Additional information on VisionCare can be found at www.visioncareinc.net.

Contact:
Allen Hill, President and CEO
VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc.
(408) 872-9393
mail@visioncareinc.net