Lumenis© Inc. recently announced it has teamed up with Kowa-Optimed and Optovue in the United States to form the AZ-Alliance. The focus of the alliance, as its name implies ("from A to Z"), is to provide comprehensive and price-competitive product solutions to its mutual customer base, along with educational programs and added-value services that can help physicians grow their practices, especially during the current turbulent economic and healthcare climate.

The AZ-Alliance will support physician education programs and offer comprehensive solutions that enable physicians to benefit from offers tailored to their unique and specific needs; attractive and preferential purchase terms, and advice on complementary product solutions that can further enhance their practice, such as Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT), which are beneficial for both the patient, physician's practice and healthcare system.

Physicians can also access an extensive range of resources and expertise that will assist them to more effectively detect, treat and manage multiple ophthalmic conditions, such as Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and so forth; and that will provide the ophthalmologist with essential pearls and clinical updates to address these conditions.

A program of seminars is currently underway across the US and focuses on helping physicians to diagnose and treat various conditions. Joining resources and efforts, the three AZ-Alliance companies are able to offer services that are made possible through the synergy formed.

The next seminar is scheduled for Saturday October 22nd in Orlando, Florida. If you would like to attend then please go to www.optovue.com/orlando

Mr. Kfir Azoulay who heads Lumenis Vision's Global Marketing Organization comments that "Until this alliance was formed, physicians had to choose between purchasing their preferred equipment from different specialized manufacturers; or get bundled deals from one manufacturer, albeit not always of their preferred choice, yet with more attractive purchase terms. The AZ Alliance brings a third option into the equation. Physicians can still purchase their preferred Laser from Lumenis, their preferred OCT device from Optovue and their preferred Digital Imaging System from Kowa, and still enjoy preferential and attractive purchasing terms that they have come to expect from multi-modality suppliers."

Mr. Azoulay goes on to mention that "The main catalyst and impetus behind the formation of the AZ Alliance was that Ophthalmologists do not view the world through the oculars of a single modality. Diagnosis and treatment lie on a continuum that should be respected from an educational and product solution point of view. And that is precisely what this alliance aims to achieve".

John Ferris, US Marketing Manager at Lumenis added that "The AZ Alliance is a collection of complementary companies that help to improve the physicians practice with value-based product solutions. By teaming up with Optovue and Kowa, Lumenis can achieve greater physician reach at meaningfully reduced costs and pass on these savings onto the customers. More importantly, this partnership enables our three companies to continue providing robust physician education programs in times of economic and reimbursement uncertainty".

About Kowa Optimed
Kowa Optimed, Inc, a technology leader in advanced ophthalmic instrumentation, DigiVersal Image Viewing Solution, and activEHR Practice Management Software. Part of the KOWA Family of Companies, it is a multi-facetted global company Headquartered in Japan with offices all over the world.

About Optovue
Optovue Inc. is a privately-held ophthalmic device company dedicated to working with eye care professionals and clinical researchers to lead the commercialization of new imaging modalities that improve diagnosis and therapy of ocular disease.

About Lumenis
Lumenis Ltd., the world's largest medical laser company, is a global developer, manufacturer and distributor of laser and light-based devices for Aesthetic, Surgical and Ophthalmic applications, and has more than 800 employees worldwide. Lumenis holds approximately 250 patents, has over 75 FDA clearances, an installed base of over 80,000 systems and presence in over 100 countries. For more information about Lumenis and its products, please visit: www.lumenis.com

For further information contact:
Michelle Maydan | Director of Corporate Communications
1-866-569-0597 | e-mail: mmaydan@lumenis.com
Lumenis® and its logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Lumenis Group of Companies.