Pre-Close Trading Update

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LONDON, UK, 30 September 2009 – Optos plc (LSE: OPTS), a leading medical retinal imaging company, today announces its pre-close trading update ahead of the Group's preliminary results for the full year ending 30 September 2009, which will be announced on 2 December 2009.

Key Highlights

• Continued success in implementing strategic changes and business improvements
  • Early indicators show the ability to improve core customer usage rates
  • Average revenue and optomaps® per site trending upwards
• Pay Per Patient revenues exceed $93m (FY-08: $91.7m)
  • 96% of revenue generated from core pay-per-patient business (FY-08: 91%)
  • ~ 3,600 customers on the pay-per-patient model (FY-08: 3,825)
  • Customer contract renewal rate will be approximately 88% and 85% for the
    fourth quarter and full year respectively (FY-08: 89%)
• Total revenues ahead of expectations at over $96.5m (FY-08: $100.8m)
  • Reduced emphasis on capital sales in the year

Trading Update

Overall performance during the year has been good, with trading ahead of our expectations in difficult market conditions. The customer renewal rate reduced slightly from the prior year given our focus on managing the portfolio of installed sites, but nevertheless will be well ahead of the full year target of over 80%. The addition of new customers is being much more carefully assessed in line with the updated strategic aims announced earlier in the year. This will ensure that sales representatives can focus efforts on high-yielding customers and drive increased usage and clinical acceptance of the optomap® service. As a result of this, the total number of customers operating on the pay-per-patient business model declined over the fourth quarter to the current level of approximately 3,600 (3,735 at the end of Q3) but overall pay-per-patient revenues have increased.

The cost and overhead reductions achieved during the year will show some benefit this year and is expected to have a more positive effect on profitability in the new financial year.

Roy Davis, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"I am delighted with the team we now have in place at Optos. We are focused on implementing our strategy, and driving increased customer usage through an effective and motivated sales force. This strategy, off a lower cost base, is delivering early signs of progress towards increasing profitability. We look forward to sharing more details including key metrics for continuous business improvement in our preliminary results statement in December."

Enquiries

About Optos Plc

Optos plc is a leading retinal imaging company with a vision to be recognised as the leading provider of retinal diagnostics through leveraging its unique wide-field imaging technology. The company has built an extensive installed base for its technology among healthcare professionals under its pay-per-patient business model. This provides an excellent position from which to focus on its core optometry business and expand into ophthalmology in a measured way.

For more information please visit our website www.optos.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections about its industry, its beliefs and assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions shareholders and prospective shareholders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forwardlooking statements to reflect events, circumstances or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.

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