Dr. Stephen S. Lane joins Alcon as Chief Medical Officer and Global Head Franchise Clinical Strategy

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, has appointed Stephen (Steve) S. Lane, MD as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Global Head Franchise Clinical Strategy. He will join the company on June 1.

In his new role, Dr. Lane will lead the integration of scientific, clinical and commercial priorities across Alcon's Surgical and Vision Care franchises, with a focus on the needs of patients and eye care practitioners. Dr. Lane will also support the generation of Surgical and Vision Care clinical evidence and represent Alcon to academic, scientific, and industry communities, and government agencies.

"All of us at Alcon are pleased to welcome Steve to the team," said Franck Leveiller, Senior Vice President, Global Head R&D, Alcon. "His extensive experience in ophthalmic surgery, contact lens and intraocular lens development, clinical trial design and execution, and the regulatory environment complements Alcon's medical device innovation and commercial execution strategy. Dr. Lane's knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to develop products that protect and preserve sight, and help eye care practitioners deliver the best visual outcomes for their patients."  

For the past 32 years, Dr. Lane has been a world-renowned ophthalmologist specializing in cataract surgery, cornea/external diseases, anterior segment surgery, LASIK, and refractive surgery. He is a founding partner of Associated Eye Care, past president of the American Society of Cataract Surgeons (ASCRS), serves on the editorial boards for several ophthalmic journals, is a distinguished lecturer, and has published numerous academic articles and book chapters. In addition, Steve is an adjunct professor of ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota, Co-Chair of the ASCRS Foundation, and a visiting faculty member of ORBIS International, an Alcon partner.

Throughout his career, Dr. Lane has been honored with numerous awards, including The American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Award, Senior Achievement Award and Secretariat Award. He has been named a Top Doctor, including recognition in the top 1 percent of ophthalmologists, by U.S. News, and one of the "34 Best Ophthalmologists in America" by Becker's ASC Review.

Dr. Lane earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota, completed his ophthalmology residency at Pennsylvania State University, and is fellowship-trained in cornea/external disease.

About Alcon
Alcon is the global leader in eye care. As a division of Novartis, we offer the broadest portfolio of products to enhance sight and improve people's lives. Our products touch the lives of more than 260 million people each year living with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and refractive errors, and there are millions more who are waiting for solutions to meet their eye care needs. Our purpose is reimagining eye care, and we do this through innovative products, partnerships with eye care professionals and programs that enhance access to quality eye care. Learn more at www.alcon.com. 

Alcon is on Facebook. Like us at www.facebook.com/AlconEyeCare. 

About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2016, the Group achieved net sales of USD 48.5 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

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SOURCE Alcon