Curing Blindness with BOTOX® Cosmetic

NEWPORT BEACH, CA, September 21, 2005 – The second annual Botox, Blephs & LASIK conference held August 26-28, 2005 in Newport Beach, CA brought together experts from skin rejuvenation, oculoplastics, and refractive surgery for three days of lectures and demonstrations. Meeting attendees included ophthalmologists, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, nurses and optometrists for the multifaceted conference. Scientific lectures were supplemented with exhibits from 25 companies. Industry representatives provided product information and demonstrations to further product knowledge.

According to Richard Weiss, MD, program chairman, “Meetings like this one really fill a need in the industry with lectures and interactive teaching programs. By combining experts from many specialties we can foster a sense of cooperation and learning that is in the best interest of all of our patients”.

In conjunction with the conference, a fundraiser was held for the One World Sight Project (OWSP). With leadership by Richard Weiss, MD, OWSP was able to sponsor the Seva Foundation and International Eye Foundation to cure blindness in over 130 people in Tanzania and Tibet. By pre-sponsoring these sight-restoring cataract surgeries, the procedures were actually performed in August along with the event.

According to Dr. Weiss, “Of the world’s 50 million cases of blindness, 80% could be prevented or cured by today’s technology. Sadly, there are 1-2 million new cases of blindness developing each year that cannot be cured at current funding levels. It is time that the eye care organizations work together at fundraising to achieve what no single organization can achieve separately”.

To raise additional funds for the project, Allergan Inc. donated BOTOX® Cosmetic and Weiss held a “Curing blindness with BOTOX® Cosmetic” day in his practice, treating 49 patients with donated product in return for contributions to OWSP. The public was also invited to a dinner and auction held in conjunction with the Botox, Blephs & LASIK Conference. All proceeds from the two events went directly to the One World Sight Project. More information about the One World Sight project is available a www.owsp.org , www.electiveprocedures.org and www.drweiss.com .