Bausch & Lomb

Executive Summary

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office grants Bausch & Lomb's patent for Ocuvite PreserVision antioxidant mineral formula Dec. 9. The same day, the Rochester, N.Y.-based company filed lawsuits in U.S. District Court against Alcon Labs, GNC, Leiner and Rexall Sundown, alleging that their respective eye vitamin products infringe on its patent rights. A study in the Archives of Ophthalmology November issue found that if, over the next five years, all those at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration took Ocuvite PreserVision, more than 300,000 people would avoid advanced ADM and any associated vision loss (1"The Tan Sheet" Nov. 17, 2003, p. 11). At a recent Bear Stearns conference, B&L CFO Steve McCloskey predicted the Ocuvite brand, which had around $50 mil. in sales in 2002, could reach $100 mil. to $200 mil. in the next few years (2"The Tan Sheet" Sept. 15, 2003, p. 6)...