SANTA CLARA, Calif. May 3 -- VISX Inc., a developer of refractive laser technology, was pleased to announce that Carl Icahn has ended his proxy contest and withdrawn his proposed slate of nominees to the VISX board of directors.
    "We are pleased that Mr. Icahn has recognized our commitment to enhancing stockholder value and has ended his proxy contest and withdrawn his proposed slate of director nominees," said Elizabeth Davila, CEO of VISX. "As we have stated, we are prepared to permit Mr. Icahn to commence due diligence in order to formulate a definitive all-cash proposal at $32 per share or higher following his signing of a customary confidentiality agreement."