Bausch + Lomb Corporation announced that an affiliate of the company has acquired the Blink product line of eye and contact lens drops from Johnson & Johnson Vision.
Wait … doesn’t B + L already have a few eye drops?
Yup! Its dry eye portfolio, which consists of various ophthalmic and contact lens topical formulations—includes MIEBO (perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution)—FDA approved in May 2023 as the first and only DED treatment directly targeting tear evaporation—and, most recently, its acquisition of Xiidra (which targets inflammation) from Novartis just last week.
Gotcha. So tell me about these products.
The Blink eye drop portfolio includes six varieties of eye drops and contact lens rewetting drops:
- Blink Tears Lubricating Eye Drops
- Blink Tears Preservative Free Lubricating Eye Drops
- Blink GelTears Lubricating Eye Drops
- Blink Triple Care Lubricating Eye Drops
- Blink Contacts Lubricating Eye Drops
- Blink-N-Clean Lens Drops
What’s unique about them?
The drops are formulated to provide long-lasting symptom relief of burning, irritation, and discomfort due to dry eyes caused by exposure to wind or sun by restoring eye tears’ natural salt balance.
Click here to learn more about each product’s ingredients, based on dry eye and preservative-free dry eye drops and contact lens rewetters.
Where can I find these products?
The Blink website allows consumers to search for available products in their area and offers coupons for purchases.
Back to this deal … talk some numbers.
Per the agreement, B + L will also purchase the product link for $106.5 million, with cash on hand.
Any word on when it will close?
The companies have not provided a timeframe yet, so stay tuned!
What’s the bigger picture with this?
The deal expands B + L’s over-the-counter (OTC) product portfolio in eye care — which are often the first option for addressing symptom relief of dry and dry contact lenses, according to B + L’s John Ferries, executive vice president, Consumer.
As with its recent acquisitions, this deal supports the company’s goals to accelerate margin expansion with a larger pharmaceutical product portfolio inclusive of dry eye assets.