Alcon, Inc.

Alcon, Inc. engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment and devices, and consumer eye care products to treat primarily diseases and disorders of the eye in the United States and internationally. It offers various prescription ophthalmic pharmaceutical products for glaucoma treatments; anti-infectives, anti-inflammatories, and combination therapies to treat bacterial, viral, and fungal infections of the eye and to control ocular inflammation; products to treat ocular allergies; combination anti-infective/anti-inflammatory products for ear infections; and generic ophthalmic and otic pharmaceutical products. The company’s ophthalmic surgical products consist of surgical equipment, single-use, and disposable products for cataract surgery; vitreoretinal surgical products; surgical procedure packs; and refractive products.

Its consumer eye care products include contact lens care products, such as disinfecting solutions, cleaners, and lens rewetting drops; vision care products, including artificial tears to treat dry eye syndrome and ocular vitamins, as well as dietary supplements, such as Age Related Eye Disease Study Formula, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin formula. The company sells its pharmaceutical products to physicians, distributors, wholesalers, hospitals, government agencies, and large retailers; surgical products directly to hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, and through distributors; and consumer eye care products directly to retailers and optical chains, as well as to distributors for resale directly to smaller retailers and eye care professionals. It was formerly known as Alcon Universal S.A. and changed its name to Alcon, Inc. in December 2001. The company was founded in 1945 and is based in Hunenberg, Switzerland. Alcon, Inc. is a subsidiary of Nestle S.A. As of August 26, 2010, Alcon Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Novartis AG.