Bausch + Lomb Corp

Bausch + Lomb said it has made progress developing tonabersat, also known as BL1243, an oral treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration, following a meeting with the US FDA. The company said discussions with the agency yielded greater clarity on the clinical development path for BL1243. Bausch + Lomb added that the FDA supported, in principle, its initial study to evaluate the candidate's safety and how it acts in the body. Assuming that study goes well, tonabersat will move into a phase 2 study in individuals with dry AMD but without advanced retinal damage. The clinical program for tonabersat is slated to begin in 2027.

Bausch + Lomb announced that two first-in-class pharmaceutical pipeline candidates will advance to the next stages of clinical development following positive trial results. The dual-action dry eye drop combining lifitegrast and perfluorohexyloctane will move into Phase 3 with Day 15 as the primary endpoint, after a Phase 2 study showed a statistically significant reduction in corneal staining at that time point, and the company estimates peak sales potential of approximately $700 million. BL1332, a topical TRPV1 antagonist for ocular surface pain, will continue in Phase 2 following a Phase 1b study that demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity, with peak sales potential estimated at approximately $1.4 billion. Shares of Bausch + Lomb inched up 0.5% following the announcement, and the company currently has a market capitalization of $6.16 billion.

Bausch Health Companies reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.26 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 96 cents and rising 40% year over year. Revenues increased 13% to $2.85 billion, surpassing the consensus of $2.65 billion, driven by growth in Salix, Solta Medical, and Bausch + Lomb. Salix revenues climbed 21% to $758 million, with Xifaxan up 26% to $664 million, while Solta Medical surged 38% to $176 million. The company raised its full-year 2026 consolidated revenue guidance to a range of $10.79 billion to $11.04 billion, up from the prior $10.67 billion to $10.92 billion, and lifted its adjusted EBITDA forecast to between $4.05 billion and $4.18 billion.

Bausch + Lomb announced new findings from its third annual State of Dry Eye survey, revealing that addressing dry eye symptoms is associated with improved quality of life, including lower anxiety and increased self-confidence. Among sufferers who said their stress or anxiety levels were affected, 73% reported improvement following treatment. The survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll in May 2026 among 1,000 dry eye sufferers using prescription or over-the-counter products, found that prescription users were more likely to report near-total or substantial improvement in self-confidence, productivity, emotional wellbeing, and mood compared to OTC users. Additionally, the survey highlighted a lack of awareness about links between dry eye and conditions like menopause and autoimmune diseases, with less than 10% aware of associations with type 1 diabetes, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis.