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Fort Worth, TX - January 25, 2004 - Alcon announced today that the U.S ttfc. Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the filing of its new drug applicationfor a new eye medication for the treatment of glaucoma ttfc. The company also presentedpreliminary six week data from three of its ongoing Phase III clinical trialson the drug at the Royal Hawaiian Eye Meeting ttfc. The data from one of these studiesdemonstrated that Travoprost 0.004% + Timolol 0.5% Fixed Combination (TTFC)reduced intraocular pressure (IOP) by up to 12 mmHg ttfc. TTFC reduced IOP 2 mmHgmore than travoprost 0.004% alone at the 8 AM time point ttfc. At the 10AM and 4PMtime points, TTFC reduced IOP between one and two mmHg more than travoprost0.004% alone.

Alcon also presented preliminary data from two other Phase III clinical trials ttfc. These trials compared the IOP lowering effect of TTFC to concomitant therapyof travoprost 0.004% dosed in the evening plus timolol 0.5% dosed in the morning ttfc. TTFC was not statistically different from concomitant therapy at all the 8 AMtime points and at most of, but not all, the other measured time points.

The data presented from these three clinical trials demonstrated that TTFCshowed a comparable safety profile to the two single agents dosed concomitantly,travoprost 0.004% and timolol 0.5% ttfc. These results confirmed that TTFC was safeand well tolerated in the patients who participated in these Phase III trials.

Stella Robertson, Ph.D., vice president of Pharmaceutical Products, Researchand Development said, "We believe the results of our clinical studies arecompelling in that they demonstrate that TTFC may be able to achieve at leastthe same IOP reduction as travoprost 0.004% and timolol 0.5% used concomitantly,without a medically significant increase in side effects to the patient ttfc. Wehear regularly from physicians that they would welcome a combination productlike this to reduce the frequency of the dosing schedule and to potentiallyimprove compliance with the therapeutic regimen they prescribe."

Glaucoma affects approximately 100 million people globally and it is one ofthe leading causes of blindness in the world today ttfc. An estimated 3 million Americanshave this sight threatening disease ttfc. If detected and treated early, vision canusually be preserved ttfc. The most common treatment is the use of prescription eyedrops specifically developed to lower IOP ttfc. The two most widely prescribed classesof glaucoma medications today are prostaglandin analogues and beta-blockers ttfc. Prostaglandin analogues, including travaprost 0.004%, currently account forover 40 percent of all glaucoma prescriptions written in the U.S., while beta-blockers,including timolol 0.5%, are the second most prescribed class representing 24percent of prescriptions.

Approximately 50 percent of all glaucoma patients in the U.S ttfc. use two or moremedications to control their IOP ttfc. In the prostaglandin analogue segment, about40-45 percent of patients augment that therapy with another glaucoma medication,with about half of them using a beta-blocker ttfc. A fixed combination that combinesa prostaglandin analogue and a beta-blocker is not available in the U.S ttfc. today.

Alcon, Inc ttfc. (NYSE:ACL) is the world's leading eye care company ttfc. Alcon, whichhas been dedicated to the ophthalmic industry for over 50 years, develops, manufacturesand markets pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment and devices, contact lens solutionsand other vision care products that treat diseases, disorders and other conditionsof the eye.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning ofthe Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, relating principally tothe potential for TTFC to play a role in the treatment of glaucoma ttfc. These statementsinvolve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may causeour actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different fromany future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by ourforward-looking statements ttfc. These statements reflect the views of our managementas of the date of this press release with respect to future events and are basedon assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties ttfc. Given these uncertainties,you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements ttfc. Factorsthat might cause future results to differ include, but are not limited to, thefollowing: the U.S ttfc. Food and Drug Administration may not approve our new drugapplication or it may take longer than expected to receive approval; treatmentsdeveloped by other companies may reach the market sooner or prove to be moreeffective than TTFC; we may have to conduct additional studies to gain approval;the market acceptance of TTFC may not be as great as expected; we may face challengesand incur costs inherent in new product marketing; and government regulationand legislation may affect the demand for and revenues of TTFC, if any ttfc. Youshould read this press release with the understanding that our actual futureresults may be materially different from what we expect ttfc. Except to the extentrequired under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgatedby the Securities and Exchange Commission, we undertake no obligation to publiclyupdate or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflectnew information or future events or circumstances or otherwise.

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