B&L is not sitting still

Bausch & Lomb have been busy this year, using the opportunity presented by the ESCRS congress to make several announcements concerning their cataract and refractive business.

In the midst of the celebration of the 10-year anniversary of its Akreos lens, the firm also announced a big strategic move in the form of a joint venture with femtosecond laser developer 20/10 Perfect Vision, as well as the launches of the Crystalens HD accommodating IOL and the Advanced Control Eye Tracking (ACE) technology for its Zyoptix refractive platform.

Indeed, it appears that B&L is making big strides towards offering the complete cataract and refractive surgery solution.

The alliance with 20/10 Perfect Vision will not only allow B&L to offer surgeons the complete 'all laser' refractive solution, but the FEMTEC femtosecond has also shown promise in the correction of presbyopia.

As a further addition to its refractive surgery portfolio, the firm has also announced the launch of the Zyopix ACE technology; the first dynamic, rotational eye tracking system that tracks and simultaneously adjusts the ablation pattern during the entire treatment procedure. According to B&L, the technology also compensates for static rotational movement and pupil shift, for improved accuracy and predictability.

Elsewhere, the successor to the Crystalens Five-O, which has already been implanted in over 100,000 patients, the Crystalens HD, gained CE mark approval in August and was showcased to Europe for the first time at the congress. The Crystalens model is still the only accommodating IOL to be approved in the US. The initial launch of the lens in Europe will be followed by a full-scale rollout, expected in the second quarter of 2009.

The alliance with 20/10 Perfect Vision, along with the launch of the Crystalens HD lens both mark exciting growth opportunities for the firm in the area of presbyopia treatment.

Meanwhile, its microincision cataract surgery (MICS) business is also experiencing strong growth through B&L's MICS phaco system, Stellaris, and the Akreos lens, which can be implanted through a 1.8 mm incision. The first lens of the Akreos family was implanted 10 years ago and since then has evolved progressively into the latest fifth generation model, the Akreos AO microincision lens (the Akreos MI60 model), was the recipient of the gold award at the Medical Design Excellence Awards earlier this year.