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Biotech / Medical : TLC-The Laser Center (NASDAQ: LZRC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cal Gary who wrote (77)	12/6/1999 11:08:00 AM
From: Cal Gary	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 96

TLC's procedure volumes and corporate update TLC Laser Eye Centers Inc TLC Shares issued 37,782,456 Dec 3 close $27.35 Mon 6 Dec 99 News Release Mr. Stephen Kilmer reports TLC Laser Eye has received its procedure volumes and issued a corporate update for the three-month period ending Nov. 30, 1999. Over 31,600 paid laser procedures were performed at the company's refractive centres in the second quarter. This is a 76-per-cent increase from 18,017 the same period a year ago. The increase in this quarter was primarily driven by 58-per-cent same-store procedure growth. Traditionally the weakest quarter from a growth perspective, TLC experienced a 5-per-cent sequential decline in second quarter paid procedure volumes, similar to those reported recently by some of the company's industry peers. While revenues are expected to be in line with paid procedure volumes, increased wages and marketing expenses will result in net income for the second quarter to fall below current analysts' consensus estimates. Based on analysis of preliminary financial data, the company expects to report second quarter income per share of approximately two U.S. cents to four U.S. cents as compared with two U.S. cents in the same period last year. Actual second quarter results will not be available until mid-January and could differ from the estimated range announced today. The increase in wages and marketing expenses in the second quarter are a direct result of the unexpectedly rapid success of the company's Advantage program, along with its Web and e-commerce initiatives. TLC has hired and is aggressively training more than 70 new staff in its information response centre and its information systems and operations departments to handle the increased procedure volumes expected to result from these projects. The company has also been in the process of designing, producing, and amassing marketing materials in preparation for its implementation. During the quarter, the company continued to enjoy exceptional success in executing the TLC Advantage program. The TLC Advantage sales force has secured exclusive contracts with more than 1,100 employers, directly covering over 1.5 million employees. In addition, the company has entered into exclusive marketing and service partnerships with several HMOs and vision plans, now covering more than 45 million individual lives. The vast majority of these partnerships, covering approximately 20 per cent of the United States population, are scheduled to commence early in calendar 2000. TLC will be launching in the first week of January a new Web initiative designed to leverage the company's significant technological advantages in order to increase procedure volumes in the most cost-effective way. Prospective patients will be able to research laser vision correction, arrange an appointment for a consultation with a TLC-affiliated local doctor, and book a consultation directly at a TLC centre -- all on-line and in real time at TLC's popular Internet site www.tlcvision.com. Finally, TLC has increased management, staffing and marketing resources for its e-commerce business, Vision Corporation, to position the company for future opportunities. TLC has made significant investments in its future this quarter and expects to begin realizing their benefits in the second half of fiscal 2000. WARNING: The company relies on litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements. (c) Copyright 1999 Canjex Publishing Ltd. canada-stockwatch.com