News & Publications

Michael J. Strauss, M.D., Joins VisionCare Board of Directors

Medtech reimbursement planning and economic policy expertise added to Board

Saratoga, CA - June 6, 2005 - VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, today announced Michael J. Strauss, MD, MPH, has accepted an invitation to join VisionCare's Board of Directors. Dr. Strauss, an independent director, expands the company's Board to five.

Dr. Strauss is an accomplished physician entrepreneur whose career has focused on new medical technology, health policy, and business. From 2001 to early 2005 he was CEO of Naviscan PET Systems, Inc., a medical imaging company. Prior to that, Dr. Strauss was a founder and President of Covance Health Economics and its predecessor, Health Technology Associates, the premiere consulting, outcomes research and services firm serving medical products manufactures. The firm, which he led from 1988 to 1999, provided consulting services for the fields of product reimbursement planning, quality-of-life research, and market economics. He is a recognized authority on Medicare reimbursement policy and has worked successfully on coverage and reimbursement initiatives for defibrillators, chemotherapy, vagus nerve stimulation, radiosurgery, and other advanced medical technologies. Dr. Strauss also serves on the Boards of Directors of Cyberonics, Inc. (CYBX), a manufacturer of implantable stimulation devices used to treat epilepsy and other neurological disorders, and Endocare, Inc. (ENDO.PK), a manufacturer of urological therapy products. Dr. Strauss has an AB from Harvard College, obtained his MD from Duke University Medical School, and has a MPH from the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Allen W. Hill, President and CEO, commented, "VisionCare welcomes Michael to our Board. His broadly recognized expertise and experience in reimbursement planning and policy, as well as his leadership and experience with private and public companies, are great assets to VisionCare."

Commenting on joining the VisionCare Board, Dr. Strauss added, "VisionCare has made tremendous progress in developing and clinically testing its products in patients with advanced forms of macular degeneration, which disables hundreds of thousand of individuals in the United States. VisionCare's products show significant promise of improving vision and quality of life for these individuals. I am looking forward to working with the Board and the company as it completes the regulatory approval process and prepares for commercialization of its products."

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