Advanced Medical Optics (EYE)

Competition

The markets for our products are intensely competitive and are subject to significant technological change. Companies within the cataract and laser vision correction markets compete on technological leadership and innovation, quality and efficacy of products, relationships with eye care professionals and health care providers, breadth and depth of product offering and pricing. We believe we have the second largest cataract business on a global basis behind Alcon, Inc., a subsidiary of Nestle S.A. Other competitors in the cataract business include Bausch & Lomb, Staar Surgical, Hoya, Santen and Zeiss-Meditec.

We believe we have the world’s largest laser vision correction business. Other competitors include Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, Zeiss-Meditec, Moria, Nidek, Wavelight and Ziemer. We believe our competitive position is enhanced by our large international distribution network, our focus on technology and customer relationships, our broad-based service capability and our product quality. Our ability to compete against larger companies may be impeded by having fewer resources to devote to research and development as well as sales and marketing.

Companies within the eye care market compete primarily on recommendations from eye care professionals, customer brand loyalty, product quality and pricing. We believe we have one of the top three largest contact lens care businesses on a global basis along with Alcon, Inc. and Bausch & Lomb. Other competitors include CIBA Vision Corporation, a unit of Novartis, and, within the Japan region, Rohto and Menicon. Our competitive position in the eye care business is enhanced by our strong presence outside the United States and our knowledge of these foreign markets, as well as technological advancement. Our larger competitors have more resources to devote to advertising and promotion, and this may negatively impact our competitive position.

Our competitors may develop technologies and products that are more effective or less costly than any of our current or future products or that could render our products obsolete or noncompetitive. Some of these competitors have substantially more resources and marketing capabilities than we do. Among other things, these consolidated companies can spread their research and development costs over much broader revenue bases than we can and may be able to better influence customer and distributor buying decisions. Our inability to produce and develop products that compete effectively against those of our competitors could result in a material reduction in sales.

Competition

The markets for our products are intensely competitive and are subject to significant technological change. Companies within the cataract / implant and laser vision correction markets compete on technological leadership and innovation, quality and efficacy of products, relationships with eye care professionals and health care providers, breadth and depth of product

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offering and pricing. We believe we have the second largest cataract/implant business on a global basis behind Alcon, Inc., a subsidiary of Nestle S.A. Other competitors in the cataract/implant business include Bausch & Lomb, Staar Surgical, Eyeonics, Hoya, Santen, and Zeiss-Meditec. We believe we have the world’s largest laser vision correction business. Other competitors include Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, Zeiss-Meditec, Moria, Nidek and Ziemer. We believe our competitive position is enhanced by our large international distribution network, our focus on technology and customer relationships, and product quality. Our ability to compete against larger companies may be impeded by having fewer resources to devote to research and development as well as sales and marketing.

Companies within the eye care market compete primarily on recommendations from eye care professionals, customer brand loyalty, product quality and pricing. We believe we have one of the top three largest contact lens care businesses on a global basis along with Alcon and Bausch & Lomb. Other competitors include CIBA Vision Corporation, a unit of Novartis, and, within the Japan region, Rohto and Menicon. Our competitive position in the eye care business is enhanced by our strong presence outside the United States and our knowledge of these foreign markets, as well as technological advancement. Our larger competitors have more resources to devote to advertising and promotion, and this may negatively impact our competitive position.

Our competitors may develop technologies and products that are more effective or less costly than any of our current or future products or that could render our products obsolete or noncompetitive. Some of these competitors have substantially more resources and marketing capabilities than we do. Among other things, these consolidated companies can spread their research and development costs over much broader revenue bases than we can and may be able to better influence customer and distributor buying decisions. Our inability to produce and develop products that compete effectively against those of our competitors could result in a material reduction in sales.

Competition

The markets for our products are intensely competitive and are subject to significant technological change. Companies within the cataract / implant and laser vision correction markets compete on technological leadership and innovation, quality and efficacy of products, relationships with eye care professionals and health care providers, breadth and depth of product offering and pricing. We believe we have the second largest cataract / implant business on a global basis behind Alcon, Inc., a subsidiary of Nestle S.A. Other competitors in the cataract / implant business include Bausch & Lomb, Staar Surgical, Eyeonics, Hoya, Santen, Zeiss-Meditec and Corneal. We believe we have the world’s largest laser vision correction business.  Other competitors include Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, Zeiss-Meditec, Moria and Nidek.  We believe our competitive position is enhanced by our global distribution network, our focus on technology and customer relationships and product quality. Our ability to compete against larger companies may be impeded by having fewer resources to devote to research and development, sales and marketing.

Companies within the eye care market compete primarily on recommendations from eye care professionals, customer brand loyalty, product quality and pricing. We believe we have one of the top three largest contact lens care businesses on a global basis along with Alcon and Bausch & Lomb. Other competitors include CIBA Vision Corporation, a unit of Novartis, and, within the Japan region, Rohto and Menicon.  Our competitive position in the eye care business is enhanced by our strong presence outside the United States and our knowledge of these foreign markets, as well as technological advancement. Our larger competitors have more resources to devote to advertising and promotion, and this may negatively impact our competitive position.

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Our competitors may develop technologies and products that are more effective or less costly than any of our current or future products or that could render our products obsolete or noncompetitive. Some of these competitors have substantially more resources and marketing capabilities than we do. Among other things, these consolidated companies can spread their research and development costs over much broader revenue bases than we can and can influence customer and distributor buying decisions. Our inability to produce and develop products that compete effectively against those of our competitors could result in a material reduction in sales.

Competition

The markets for our ophthalmic surgical device and eye care products are intensely competitive and are subject to significant technological change. Companies within the ophthalmic surgical device market compete on technological leadership and innovation, quality and efficacy of products, relationships with eye care professionals and health care providers, breadth and depth of product offering and pricing. We believe we have the second largest ophthalmic surgical device business on a global basis behind Alcon, Inc., a subsidiary of Nestle S.A. Other competitors in the ophthalmic surgical device business include Bausch & Lomb, Staar Surgical, Moria, Nidek, IntraLase, Eyeonics, Hoya, Santen, and Corneal. We believe our competitive position is enhanced by our global distribution network, our focus on technology and customer relationships and product quality. Our ability to compete against larger companies may be impeded by having fewer resources to devote to research and development, sales and marketing.

Companies within the eye care market compete primarily on recommendations from eye care professionals, customer brand loyalty, product quality and pricing. We believe we have one of the top three largest contact lens care businesses on a global basis along with Alcon and Bausch & Lomb. Other competitors include CIBA Vision Corporation, a unit of Novartis; Moria, and in the contact lens business, CooperVision, Vistakon, a Johnson and Johnson company, and CIBA Vision Corporation. Our competitive position in the eye care business is enhanced by our strong presence outside the United States and our knowledge of these foreign markets, as well as technological advancement. Our larger competitors have more resources to devote to advertising and promotion, and this may negatively impact our competitive position.

Our competitors may develop technologies and products that are more effective or less costly than any of our current or future products or that could render our products obsolete or noncompetitive. Some of these competitors have substantially more resources and marketing capabilities than we do. Among other things, these consolidated companies can spread their research and development costs over much broader revenue bases than we can and can influence customer and distributor buying decisions. Our inability to produce and develop products that compete effectively against those of our competitors could result in a material reduction in sales.

Competition

VISX competes both domestically and internationally primarily on the quality of the procedures performed by its products and the reliability of its products and service, and to a lesser extent the pricing of those products and services. There are six companies whose excimer laser systems have received FDA approval in the United States, namely, those of VISX, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, LaserSight, Nidek, and WaveLight. VISX’s principal international competitors are Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, LaserSight, Nidek, Schwind, WaveLight, and Zeiss-Meditec.

Competition

The markets for our ophthalmic surgical device and eye care products are intensely competitive and are subject to significant technological change. Companies within the ophthalmic surgical device market compete on technological leadership and innovation, quality and efficacy of products, relationships with eye care professionals and health care providers, breadth and depth of product offering and pricing. We believe we have the second largest ophthalmic surgical device business on a global basis behind Alcon, Inc., a subsidiary of Nestle S.A. Other competitors in the ophthalmic surgical device business include Bausch & Lomb, Staar Surgical, Moria, IntraLase and Eyeonics. We believe our competitive position is enhanced by our global distribution network, our focus on technology and customer relationships and product quality. Our ability to compete against larger companies may be impeded by having fewer resources to devote to research and development, sales and marketing.

Companies within the eye care market compete primarily on recommendations from eye care professionals, customer brand loyalty, product quality and pricing. We believe we have the second largest contact lens care business on a global basis behind Alcon. Other competitors include Bausch & Lomb; CIBA Vision Corporation, a unit of Novartis; Moria, and in the contact lens business, CooperVision, Vistakon, a Johnson and Johnson company, and CIBA Vision Corporation. Our competitive position in the eye care business is enhanced by our strong presence outside the United States and our knowledge of these foreign markets, as well as technological advancement. Our larger competitors have more resources to devote to advertising and promotion, and this may negatively impact our competitive position.

Our competitors may develop technologies and products that are more effective or less costly than any of our current or future products or that could render our products obsolete or noncompetitive. Some of these competitors have substantially more resources and marketing capabilities than we do. Among other things, these consolidated companies can spread their research and development costs over much broader revenue bases than we can and can influence customer and distributor buying decisions. Our inability to produce and develop products that compete effectively against those of our competitors could result in a material reduction in sales.