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For Immediate Release

Makrolon® Polycarbonate from Bayer MaterialScience Contributes to Micro Forceps and Scissors

February 12, 2007

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 12, 2007 — Alcon Grieshaber AG, a leading medical technology manufacturer based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, has developed a new generation of surgical instruments to help combat vision-impairing retinal disease, most commonly caused through macular degeneration or AMD. The Grieshaber Revolution™ DSP micro forceps and scissors from Alcon Grieshaber have an advantage over similar commercial instruments: they can be freely rotated while being used. This innovative and extremely helpful function is made possible in part by a plastic basket of thin-walled ribs that forms part of the instrument body.

When designing the thin-walled ribs, Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) was called upon to provide an engineering material with strength, stiffness and toughness. These properties were a perfect fit for Bayer's Makrolon® 2458 polycarbonate. "Our Makrolon 2458 polycarbonate, which is approved for medical applications, fulfilled all these requirements. Its excellent dimensional stability also makes it possible for this delicate injection-molded component to be easily demolded and for the forceps or scissors to work reliably," explains Markus Krieter, Medical Market Manager in the Polycarbonates Business Unit of BMS AG.

Of the single-use operating instrument's individual components, eight are made of Makrolon polycarbonate. The manufacturer of these polycarbonate parts is Gebr. Renggli AG in Schaffhausen, an internationally renowned expert in precision injection molding and mold construction. The parts are manufactured using a laminar flow process, then cleaned and finished in a cleanroom. The actual instruments themselves are assembled in a cleanroom at Alcon Grieshaber.

For more information about BMS' Makrolon polycarbonate resin, call 1-800-662-2927 or visit www.bayermaterialscienceNAFTA.com.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with nearly 19,000 employees at 40 sites around the world and 2005 sales of 10.7 billion euros. Our innovative developments in coating, adhesive and sealant raw materials, polycarbonates, polyurethanes and thermoplastic urethane elastomers enhance the design and functionality of products in a wide variety of markets, including the automotive, construction, electrical and electronics, household and medical industries, and the sports and leisure fields. Our inorganic basic chemicals unit produces chlorine and related essential products for the chemicals industry. Let us give life to your vision. Bayer MaterialScience — Where VisionWorks.

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2005 net sales of 7.3 billion euros and employed 16,200 at year end. Bayer's three operating companies — Bayer HealthCare LLC, Bayer CropScience LP and Bayer MaterialScience LLC — improve people's lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose, prevent and treat diseases, protect crops and advance automobile safety and durability.

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This website may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Media Contact(s)
Name:	Scott Hunsberger
Phone:	412-777-5200
Company:	Bayer MaterialScience
Email:	scott.hunsberger@bayerbms.com

The Grieshaber Revolution™ DSP micro forceps and scissors from Alcon Grieshaber were developed to combat retinal disease. Eight of the single-use operating instrument’s individual components are made of Makrolon® polycarbonate.