Bausch + Lomb Advances Two First-in-Class Eye Health Therapies

Bausch + Lomb BLCO recently announced that two first-in-class pharmaceutical pipeline candidates will advance to the next stages of clinical development following positive trial results. The programs include a dual-action eye drop for dry eye disease that is moving into Phase 3 and BL1332, an investigational treatment for ocular surface pain, which will continue in Phase 2.

Per Bausch + Lomb CEO Brent Saunders, helping people see better and live better starts with tackling challenges patients face every day. The trial results support the company’s approach to developing differentiated treatments aimed at addressing significant unmet needs and advancing the standard of care in eye health.

BLCO Stock Trend Following the News

Following the announcement, shares of BLCO inched up 0.5% at yesterday’s close. Year to date, the stock has gained 1.4% compared with the industry’s 3.6% growth and the S&P 500’s 11.5% rise.

Bausch + Lomb could benefit from these advances through a stronger pharmaceutical pipeline and new growth opportunities beyond 2028. Progressing the dual-action dry eye therapy into Phase 3 and advancing BL1332 in ocular surface pain could expand the company’s addressable markets and diversify future revenue streams. With combined estimated peak sales exceeding $2 billion, successful development and commercialization could meaningfully strengthen long-term revenue growth while reinforcing Bausch + Lomb’s position in innovative eye health treatments.

BLCO currently has a market capitalization of $6.16 billion.

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More on BLCO’s Pipeline Advancements

The dual-action dry eye eye drop combines 5% lifitegrast, the active ingredient in XIIDRA, with perfluorohexyloctane (PFHO), the active ingredient in MIEBO. The therapy is designed to address both ocular surface inflammation and tear evaporation, two main contributors to dry eye disease. In a Phase 2 study involving 443 patients, the treatment did not meet its Day 29 primary endpoint of superiority over lifitegrast alone. However, a pre-specified Day 15 analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in total corneal fluorescein staining compared with lifitegrast alone.

At Day 15, 41.6% of patients receiving the combination achieved at least a three-unit improvement in corneal staining, compared with 18.8% for lifitegrast alone and 31.6% for PFHO alone. Based on these results, Bausch + Lomb plans to advance the therapy into Phase 3 with Day 15 as the primary endpoint. The company estimates peak sales potential of approximately $700 million.

The company is also progressing BL1332, a topical TRPV1 antagonist for ocular surface pain. In a Phase 1b study using a capsaicin-induced ocular pain model, BL1332 demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity compared with vehicle. The treatment produced shorter pain duration and a higher rate of complete pain resolution, with no new safety signals identified.

BL1332 is now being evaluated in a Phase 2 study involving patients experiencing pain following photorefractive keratectomy surgery, with top-line results expected in the coming months. The company estimates peak sales potential of approximately $1.4 billion, assuming successful development and labeling across multiple ocular surface pain conditions.

Industry Prospects Favoring the Market

Going by data provided by Fortune Business Insights, the global dry eye syndrome market is predicted to be valued at $8.55 billion in 2026 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 7.4% through 2034.

Factors such as the rising prevalence of dry eye disease, an aging global population, prolonged exposure to digital screens and continued advances in eye care treatments are expected to support market growth.

Other News

Bausch + Lomb recently announced the U.S. launch of the EyeGility Inserter, a preloaded intraocular lens (IOL) delivery system designed for its enVista family of IOLs. The system is available for enVista Aspire preloaded IOLs, while enVista Envy lenses integrated with the EyeGility Inserter are expected to be launched in the coming months.

Bausch + Lomb also introduced Orphia, an AI-powered digital health platform designed to simplify clinical workflows and allow eye care providers to focus more on patient care. Built as a brand-agnostic solution, the platform is compatible with a wide range of products, devices and treatments, making it suitable for eye care practices regardless of their preferred technologies.

Bausch + Lomb Corporation Price

Bausch + Lomb Corporation price | Bausch + Lomb Corporation Quote

BLCO’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Currently, BLCO carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Veracyte VCYT, Globus Medical GMED and West Pharmaceutical WST.

Veracyte, currently flaunting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reported a second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 54 cents, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 25.6%. Revenues of $150.3 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.1%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

VCYT has an estimated earnings growth rate of 8.4% for 2026. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 41.8%.

Globus Medical, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported a second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.34, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 19.6%. Revenues of $789.6 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.4%.

GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 12.4%. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 27.9%.

West Pharmaceutical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.37, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.9%. Revenues of $872.3 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.2%.

WST has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 16%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.4%.

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