Bausch & Lomb, Santen Strike Licensing Agreement for IOL Development

ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. - Bausch & Lomb, the global eye health company, has entered into a licensing agreement with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., for the development of certain intraocular lens (IOL) materials.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bausch & Lomb has obtained the rights to Santen’s hydrophobic acrylic polymers, from which it may commercialize new IOLs for sale worldwide. Santen reserves the right for the use of these materials in the Japanese market. Financial terms will not be disclosed.

“Bausch & Lomb is enthusiastic about the potential that these polymers hold for developing next-generation IOLs, to benefit patients and surgeons alike,” said John Sheets, Jr., Ph.D., corporate vice president and chief technology officer, Bausch & Lomb. “We are committed to aggressively creating innovative, in-demand products through both industry partnerships and our considerable internal capabilities. Combining these materials with our current product and technology portfolio will provide Bausch & Lomb with an unsurpassed breadth of product offerings.”

“Developing these novel materials extends our access to the global IOL marketplace, complementing our existing Crystalens®, Akreos™ and SofPort® IOL products,” noted Tom Frinzi, vice president, Global Commercial Operations, Surgical, Bausch & Lomb.

Bausch & Lomb is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of IOLs, which are used to replace the eye’s natural crystalline lens during cataract surgery. Its Crystalens product is the only FDA-approved accommodating IOL, flexing like the eye’s natural lens to allow patients to see better at all distances.