Takeover deal sees J&J snap up eye health company

Two of the biggest names in eye health have joined forces following Johnson & Johnson’s $4.3billion acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics (AMO).

The deal gives Johnson & Johnson ophthalmic products in three business segments: cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery and consumer eye health. It will also see the company take on a product portfolio which includes hydrogen peroxide cleaning systems for patients who wear contact lenses. Ashley McEvoy, who is responsible for Johnson & Johnson's Vision Care companies, said: “Eye health is one of the largest, fastest growing and most underserved segments in health care today. "With the acquisition of AMO’s strong and differentiated surgical ophthalmic portfolio, coupled with our world-leading ACUVUE® contact lens business, we will become a more broad-based leader in vision care.  
“Importantly, with this acquisition we will enter cataract surgery – one of the most commonly performed surgeries and the number one cause of preventable blindness."

AMO is a global leader in ophthalmic surgery and is known for world-class intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery. In addition to the cataract business, AMO has advanced laser vision (LASIK) technologies designed to enhance surgeon productivity and correct near sightedness, far sightedness and astigmatism.  

The acquisition also includes AMO's consumer eye health products such as over-the-counter drops for dry eye and a range of multipurpose solutions.