(PRWEB) November 6, 2003
WOBURN, MA(PRWEB) November 3, 2003 For a second consecutive year, Advanced Vision Research, Inc. (AVR) has been named one of America’s entrepreneurial growth leaders by Inc magazine. The Inc 500 ranked AVR as one of the nation’s fastest growing privately held companies. The ranking appears in the magazine’s special Inc 500 issue, available at newsstands nationwide.
Advanced Vision Research, makers of TheraTears brand products, achieved a 414 percent growth in the past five years, with sales growing to $ 10.5 million in 2002. Under company founder, president and CEO Jeffrey P. Gilbard, M.D., the TheraTears brand name has become synonymous with dry eye relief.
“We are delighted to be included in Inc magazine’s prestigious ranking for a second year in a row,” said Dr. Gilbard. “Our success is indicative of our commitment to meeting customer needs and our continued focus on building the TheraTears brand with unique and meaningful products.”
The company’s road to success began in 1995 with the introduction of TheraTears Lubricant Eye Drops in preservative-free single-use containers. This patented formula was based on the results of Dr. Gilbard’s 18-year research program. In March 2000, the bottled version of TheraTears, with a disappearing preservative was introduced. The TheraTears brand has become one of the most widely recommended and successful products for dry-eye relief in the United States and as a result, retail distribution has grown rapidly. TheraTears is now available at every major drugstore, mass merchant and grocery chain nationwide. In the last two years, the company has begun to expand internationally with the launch of TheraTears in Canada, Europe, and other key international markets.
In January 2003, the company introduced two new innovative TheraTears products. TheraTears Liquid Gel, is the first preservative-free, electrolyte-balanced gel for dry eye patients. TheraTears Liquid Gel, incorporates the patented TheraTears electrolyte balance into a thicker formula with an optimized viscosity that provides comfort for both nighttime and daytime use. TheraTears Nutrition for Dry Eyes is a uniquely formulated supplement containing a patent-pending blend of Omega-3 essential fatty acids designed to decrease meibomitis, stimulate tear secretion and augment the oil layer of the tear film. TheraTears Nutrition for Dry Eyes breaks new ground by enabling eye care practitioners to provide, for the first time, systemic dry eye therapy.
To be eligible for this year’s Inc 500, companies had to be independent and privately held through 2002, have at least $ 200,000 in sales in the base year of 1997, and have 2002 sales that exceeded 2001 sales. Inc verifies all information using tax forms and financial statements from certified public accountants and by conducting interviews with company officials.
Advanced Vision Research is committed to eye research and the development of major advances in the treatment of eye disease. Information on the company and its products may be obtained by contacting Advanced Vision Research at 781-932-8327, by fax at 781-935-5075 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Information can also obtained by visiting the TheraTears website at http://www.theratears.com.
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Contact:
Neil D. Donnenfeld
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
