EXHIBIT 99.1



[QLT LOGO]     QLT Inc.     887 Great Northern Way                t 604.707.7000
                            Vancouver, BC Canada V5T 4T5          f 604.707.7001
                                                                  www.qltinc.com


news release

            QLT ANNOUNCES VISUDYNE(R) SALES FOR FIRST QUARTER OF 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 21, 2005 VANCOUVER, CANADA--QLT Inc. (NASDAQ:QLTI; TSX:QLT) today reported
that its alliance partner, Novartis, announced global Visudyne(R) (verteporfin)
sales of approximately US$123.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2005.
This represents an increase of 22.5% over sales in the first quarter of 2004.

QLT will release its full first quarter financial results on Thursday, April 28,
2005, at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET).

QLT Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company specializing in developing
treatments for cancer, eye diseases and dermatological and urological
conditions. We have combined our expertise in the discovery, development,
commercialization and manufacture of innovative drug therapies with our unique
technology platforms to create highly successful products such as Visudyne and
Eligard(R). For more information, visit our web site at www.qltinc.com.

QLT Inc. will hold an investor conference call to discuss the first quarter
results on Thursday, April 28 at 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT). 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 1-800-374-8183, access code
5540623.

A full explanation of how QLT determines and recognizes revenue resulting from
Visudyne sales is contained in the financial statements contained in our
periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K, under the heading "Significant
Accounting Policies - Revenue Recognition." Visudyne sales are product sales by
Novartis under its alliance with QLT.

                                      -30-

QLT Inc.:
Vancouver, Canada
Tamara Hicks
Telephone: 604-707-7000 or 1-800-663-5486
Fax: 604-707-7001

Visudyne is a registered trademark of Novartis AG.
Eligard is a registered trademark of Sanofi-aventis.


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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 sales in this press release are preliminary
and unaudited and are not a complete disclosure of our quarterly 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 does not assume any obligation to update
such information to reflect later events or developments, except as may be
required by law.


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