SAN RAMON, Calif., June 29, 2020—As part of its ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response, CooperVision has begun producing hand sanitizer at its manufacturing sites in the United Kingdom and Puerto Rico. A portion of the gel is used to support internal requirements and employee hygiene needs, ensuring consistent supply and freeing commercial stocks for distribution elsewhere. Additional volumes are being donated to community organizations and customers.
CooperVision’s Hampshire, UK site manufactures a range of brands, including Biofinity® and MyDay® contact lenses. Following a laboratory re-design to meet materials handling requirements, the project team rapidly repurposed machinery and developed new operating procedures. In only three weeks, the company was producing bottles of hand sanitizer in volume—safely, efficiently and in line with the World Health Organization formulation and regulatory guidelines. Community recipients have included areas of the National Health Service, schools, community facilities, care homes and charities.
The company’s Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico facility also produces brands such as Biofinity® and MyDay® contact lenses. In the coming weeks the U.S. sales team will distribute complimentary bottles of Puerto Rico-manufactured hand sanitizer to customers, supplementing what practices can obtain from other sources.
The hand sanitizer initiative is the latest in a series of actions by CooperVision to help the eye care and local communities address COVID-19-related challenges. These have included expanded direct-to-patient home deliveries in close collaboration with eye care professionals, enhanced digital training programs, support for high-visibility initiatives promoting safe contact lens wear, and the donation of products, supplies and even hot meals to front line healthcare heroes.
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About CooperVision
CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia and childhood myopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has a workforce of more than 12,000 with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
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