Bausch

Bausch & Lomb, commonly styled as Bausch + Lomb, is an eye-health company and brand whose history began in Rochester, New York, in 1853. German immigrant optician John Jacob Bausch established the business with Henry Lomb, a cabinet maker who became his financial backer. The company initially made monocles and later developed vulcanite-rubber spectacle frames, helping it expand at a time when conventional horn and precious-metal materials were becoming more expensive and difficult to obtain. Its early emphasis on precision optics created a foundation for later work in microscopes, photographic lenses, spectacle lenses, binoculars, telescopes, projectors, camera components, and other optical instruments. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Bausch & Lomb broadened its technical capabilities through optical-glass production, research, manufacturing partnerships, and military contracts. Cooperation with Zeiss and Saegmuller supported the development and commercialization of optical technologies, while demand associated with the United States armed forces and the two World Wars encouraged production of field glasses, range finders, periscopes, searchlight mirrors, camera lenses, and other precision equipment. The company also developed optics for CinemaScope and created the Ray-Ban sunglasses brand for pilots in the 1930s. Ray-Ban later became a major consumer sunglasses business, but Bausch & Lomb sold it to Luxottica in 1999. A decisive modern turning point came through contact-lens technology. In 1965, the company acquired rights to hydrogel contact-lens technology developed by Czech scientists Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lím. After development and regulatory work, Bausch & Lomb introduced Soflens in 1971, helping make soft contact lenses commercially important. The business subsequently concentrated more heavily on vision care and healthcare. A major restructuring in the 1980s reduced some of its traditional optical activities, while acquisitions such as Polymer Technology Corporation and Dr. Mann Pharma strengthened contact lenses and pharmaceutical capabilities. A surgical-products division was established in 1997. The corporate ownership structure also changed substantially. Bausch & Lomb was historically a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, but private-equity firm Warburg Pincus acquired it in 2007. Valeant Pharmaceuticals, now known as Bausch Health Companies, announced a cash acquisition in 2013 and completed the transaction on August 5 of that year. Bausch & Lomb later returned to the public markets through an initial public offering completed on May 6, 2022, while remaining associated with Bausch Health. Today, the brand's portfolio covers three broad areas: Vision Care, Pharmaceuticals, and Surgical. Vision Care includes daily and reusable contact lenses, specialty lenses, and lens-care products. Consumer eye-care products include eye drops, redness relievers, dry-eye products, lens rewetting products, and nutritional supplements such as PreserVision and Ocuvite. Pharmaceutical products address conditions and needs including dry eye, glaucoma, ocular inflammation, ocular hypertension, postoperative care, and retinal disease. The Surgical portfolio includes intraocular lenses, delivery systems, phacoemulsification equipment, and other devices and instruments used in cataract, corneal, vitreous, and retinal procedures. The company has also expanded through product launches and acquisitions. Lumify entered the consumer eye-drop market in 2018, Miebo received United States approval in 2023 for dry-eye treatment, and Bausch + Lomb acquired Xiidra and related assets from Novartis in 2023. The same year, it acquired the Blink eye-care portfolio from Johnson & Johnson. Bausch & Lomb therefore operates as both a consumer-facing brand and a medical eye-care supplier, combining contact-lens and over-the-counter products with prescription therapies and surgical technologies.

Bausch + Lomb began in 1853 when German immigrant John Jacob Bausch opened an optical goods shop in Rochester, New York, with financial support from Henry Lomb. The business initially sold spectacles and other optical products. Its early growth was connected to the development of American optical manufacturing, allowing the company to move from retailing imported goods toward producing precision instruments in the United States. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Bausch + Lomb broadened its technical capabilities. It produced microscopes, binoculars, photographic lenses, and other optical instruments, and became an important supplier of military and scientific optics. The company’s work in precision glass and lens manufacturing helped establish a durable reputation beyond consumer eyewear. The Ray-Ban sunglass brand was developed by Bausch + Lomb in the twentieth century and became one of the most recognizable names in eyewear before being sold to Luxottica in 1999. Bausch + Lomb later became a major participant in contact lenses and lens care. The company developed and commercialized soft contact-lens technologies and built a substantial business in solutions for cleaning, disinfecting, storing, and rewetting lenses. These activities made the brand familiar both to eye-care professionals and to consumers. Its portfolio subsequently expanded into prescription ophthalmology, over-the-counter eye drops, intraocular lenses, and equipment for cataract and retinal surgery. The company’s corporate history changed in the 2000s. Bausch + Lomb was acquired by Warburg Pincus in 2007 after accounting and regulatory difficulties had affected the business. Valeant Pharmaceuticals acquired Bausch + Lomb in 2013, combining the eye-health company with its broader pharmaceutical operations. Valeant later changed its name to Bausch Health Companies as it dealt with debt, pricing criticism, litigation, and a broad restructuring of its business model. Bausch + Lomb was subsequently prepared as a separately traded eye-health company. The separation from Bausch Health was completed in 2022, and Bausch + Lomb Corporation became listed on the New York Stock Exchange under BLCO. The transaction created a standalone company focused on vision care, consumer eye health, prescription medicines, and surgical products, while Bausch Health retained a significant ownership interest. Since the separation, the company has continued to develop and acquire products in dry eye, contact lenses, pharmaceuticals, and ophthalmic surgery while maintaining an international commercial presence.

• 2023

  Miebo approved for dry eye

  [6]FDA approval of Miebofda.gov

  The FDA approved Miebo for signs and symptoms of dry-eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction.

• 2022

  Separation and public listing

  [3]Bausch + Lomb separation and NYSE listing announcementir.bausch.com

  Bausch + Lomb separated from Bausch Health Companies and listed on the New York Stock Exchange as BLCO.

• 2016

  Xiidra approved in the United States

  [5]FDA approval of Xiidrafda.gov

  The FDA approved Xiidra, a prescription treatment for the signs and symptoms of dry-eye disease.

• 2013

  Acquired by Valeant

  [9]Acquired by Valeantsec.gov

  Valeant Pharmaceuticals completed its acquisition of Bausch + Lomb, adding the eye-health business to its pharmaceutical group.

• 2007

  Acquired by Warburg Pincus

  [8]Acquired by Warburg Pincussec.gov

  Warburg Pincus acquired Bausch + Lomb and took the company private.

• 1999

  Ray-Ban sold to Luxottica

  [7]Ray-Ban sold to Luxotticaluxottica.com

  Bausch + Lomb sold the Ray-Ban eyewear business to Luxottica.

• 1937

  Ray-Ban brand introduced

  [1]Bausch + Lomb company historybausch.com

  Bausch + Lomb introduced Ray-Ban sunglasses, which later became a major eyewear brand before its sale to Luxottica.

• 1903

  Expansion into precision optical instruments

  [1]Bausch + Lomb company historybausch.com

  The company’s optical manufacturing activities expanded across scientific, photographic, and other precision applications.

• 1853

  Optical business founded in Rochester

  [1]Bausch + Lomb company historybausch.com

  John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb established the business that became Bausch + Lomb in Rochester, New York.

An integrated global eye-health specialist spanning consumer vision care, contact lenses, prescription ophthalmology, and surgical technologies.

• Contact lenses

  ULTRA

  A family of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses designed for monthly replacement. The portfolio includes products for common vision-correction needs and, in selected markets, options addressing astigmatism and presbyopia.

• Daily disposable contact lenses

  Biotrue ONEday

  A daily disposable contact-lens line marketed around a material and design intended to support moisture retention and comfortable wear. Availability and specific configurations differ across countries.

• Lens care and eye care

  Biotrue

  A consumer eye-care platform that includes multipurpose contact-lens solution, rewetting products, and related offerings. The brand is positioned around biologically inspired moisture and cleaning concepts.

• Over-the-counter eye drops · 2018

  Lumify

  An over-the-counter eye-drop brand containing brimonidine tartrate for temporary reduction of ocular redness. It is marketed primarily through consumer and pharmacy channels in markets where approved.

• Prescription ophthalmic medicine · 2016

  Xiidra

  A prescription ophthalmic solution containing lifitegrast and indicated in the United States for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry-eye disease. Bausch + Lomb obtained the product through its acquisition of the ophthalmology business of Novartis.

• Prescription ophthalmic medicine · 2023

  Miebo

  A prescription ophthalmic solution containing perfluorohexyloctane. In the United States it is indicated for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry-eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction.

• Intraocular lenses

  enVista

  A family of intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery. The range includes monofocal and other lens technologies intended to address different surgical and visual-correction requirements.

• 2006

  Accounting and regulatory issues before the 2007 buyout

  Bausch + Lomb disclosed accounting problems and faced regulatory scrutiny related to its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact-lens solution after reports of fungal eye infections. The company recalled the product and entered a period of operational and governance disruption before its acquisition by Warburg Pincus.

  Source

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• 2023

  Launch of Miebo in the United StatesProduct launch

  Background

  Meibomian gland dysfunction is a recognized contributor to evaporative dry-eye disease and represented a targeted treatment opportunity.

  Action taken

  Following FDA approval, Bausch + Lomb introduced Miebo as a prescription treatment for dry-eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction.

  Aftermath

  Miebo expanded the company’s prescription dry-eye portfolio alongside Xiidra and other ophthalmic products.

  Source

• 2022

  Spin-off into an independent eye-health companyStrategy

  Background

  Bausch Health sought to separate its eye-health assets from its other pharmaceutical businesses and unlock a focused public-market vehicle.

  Action taken

  Bausch Health completed the separation of Bausch + Lomb Corporation, which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under BLCO.

  Aftermath

  The company operated as an independent public eye-health business while Bausch Health retained a significant ownership interest.

  Source

• 2013

  Sale to Valeant PharmaceuticalsM&A

  Background

  Bausch + Lomb was a major standalone eye-health company with established contact-lens, pharmaceutical, and surgical businesses.

  Action taken

  Valeant Pharmaceuticals agreed to acquire the company and completed the transaction in 2013.

  Aftermath

  Bausch + Lomb became the core of Valeant’s eye-health activities and later operated within the renamed Bausch Health Companies.

  Source

• 2021.04.14

  Reported2021.04.14

  OccluSense wins OE-A Best Prototype / New Product award[11]OccluSense获得OE-A“最佳原型/新产品”奖eejournal.com

  InnovationLab announced that OccluSense by Bausch won the Best Prototype / New Product category at the OE-A Competition 2021.

• 2021.04.07

  Reported2021.04.07

  FDA approves Bausch + Lomb ClearVisc[12]FDA批准Bausch + Lomb ClearViscprnewswire.com

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Bausch + Lomb’s ClearVisc dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device for use in ophthalmic surgery.

Read more

1. 1Bausch + Lomb company historybausch.com
2. 2Bausch + Lomb investor relations managementir.bausch.com
3. 3Bausch + Lomb separation and NYSE listing announcementir.bausch.com
4. 4Bausch + Lomb 2022 registration statementsec.gov
5. 5FDA approval of Xiidrafda.gov
6. 6FDA approval of Miebofda.gov
7. 7Ray-Ban sold to Luxotticaluxottica.com
8. 8Acquired by Warburg Pincussec.gov
9. 9Acquired by Valeantsec.gov
10. 10Accounting and regulatory issues before the 2007 buyoutfda.gov
11. 11OccluSense获得OE-A“最佳原型/新产品”奖eejournal.com
12. 12FDA批准Bausch + Lomb ClearViscprnewswire.com
13. 13FDA approves Bausch + Lomb's ClearVisc OVDhealio.com