Bausch and Lomb to promote 3 of its eye care products

Bausch and Lomb has entered a five-year agreement with Pfizer to promote three of its products intended to aid ophthalmic conditions.

Alrex, Lotemax and Zylet will be marketed by both companies’ sales team in an attempt to “reach considerably more eye care practitioners” explained Dr Flemming Ornskov, corporate vice-president and global president of the former’s pharmaceutical division.

He suggested the venture would hopefully “better attend to the needs of millions of patients every year”.

The agreement will also apply to the firm’s investigational anti-infective eye drop, besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension, which is currently awaiting approval.

In December 2008, the Food and Drug Administration and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of the treatment.

Bausch and Lomb anticipate that a decision will be made at some point in 2009.

This week, the eye health company also entered a licensing agreement for the development of certain intraocular lens materials with the company Santen Pharmaceutical.

John Sheets, corporate vice-president and chief technology officer of the firm, asserted the company was “enthusiastic” about the work into developing the new products.