Bausch & Lomb, Pfizer to co-promote ophthalmic products

Rochester, NY, and New York

-Bausch & Lomb and Pfizer have entered into a co-promotion agreement that involves both companies’ prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals in the United States, the companies announced in a joint statement. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The 5-year agreement includes Pfizer’s latanoprost (Xalatan), and Bausch & Lomb’s loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.2% (Alrex), loteprednol 0.5% (Lotemax), and loteprednol 0.5% and tobramycin 0.3% (Zylet). The agreement also will apply to Bausch & Lomb’s besifloxacin 0.6%, an investigational anti-infective drop, which is awaiting FDA approval.

Under the agreement, according to the release, both companies’ sales forces will promote the aforementioned drops.

“Ophthalmic disorders cause significant disability in the United States. This agreement with Bausch & Lomb combines our portfolios and further demonstrates our commitment to provide prescription medications that can benefit people living with serious eye conditions,” said Olivier Brandicourt, president and general manager for Pfizer’s Specialty Care Business Unit. Pfizer will continue to maintain three mid-stage development programs in its own pipeline, which will be separate from the co-promotion agreement.

“Working in collaboration, our U.S. sales organizations will now represent one of the broadest products offerings in the U.S. ophthalmic market,” said Flemming Ornskov, MD, MPH, corporate vice president and global president, pharmaceuticals, Bausch & Lomb. “We’ll be able to reach considerably more eye care practitioners, and in turn, better attend to the needs of millions of patients every year.”

In December, the FDA’s Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of besifloxacin for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis. Bausch & Lomb said it anticipates a decision from the FDA sometime this year.