[QLT LETTERHEAD]

news release

            QLT ANNOUNCES VISUDYNE(R) SALES FOR FIRST QUARTER OF 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             APRIL 15, 2003

VANCOUVER, CANADA--QLT Inc. (NASDAQ:QLTI; TSX:QLT) today reported that its
alliance partner, Novartis, announced global Visudyne(R) (verteporfin) sales of
approximately US$82.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2003. This
represents an increase of 20% over sales in the first quarter of 2002.

QLT will release its full financial results on Thursday, April 24, 2003, at 7:30
a.m. EST.

QLT Inc. is a global pharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery,
development and commercialization of innovative therapies to treat cancer, eye
diseases and niche areas for which treatments can be marketed by a specialty
sales force. Combining expertise in ophthalmology, oncology and photodynamic
therapy, QLT has commercialized two products to date, including Visudyne(R)
therapy, which is the most successfully launched ophthalmology product ever. For
more information, visit our web site at www.qltinc.com

QLT Inc. will hold an analyst and institutional investor conference call to
discuss first quarter results on Thursday, April 24th at 8:30 a.m. EST (5:30
a.m. PST). The call will be broadcast live via the Internet at www.qltinc.com. A
replay of the call will be available via the Internet and also via telephone at
(416) 695-5800, access code 1407390.

                                      -30-

QLT Inc.:
Vancouver, Canada
Therese Hayes / Tamara Hicks
Telephone: (604) 707-7000  Fax: (604) 707-7001


Visudyne(R) is a registered trademark of Novartis AG

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QLT Inc. is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the trading symbol "QLTI"
and on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "QLT."

The financial results for Visudyne(R) sales in this press release are
preliminary and unaudited and are not a complete disclosure of our quarterly or
annual financial results. Certain statements in this press release constitute
"forward-looking statements" of QLT within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to be
materially different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such statements. These statements are only predictions
and actual events or results may differ materially. Factors that could cause
such actual events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements to differ materially from any future results express or implied by
such statements are described in detail in QLT's Annual Information Form on Form
10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities.
Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and QLT is not
obligated to update such information to reflect later events or developments.

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