Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE:BLCO) on Monday announced plans to push two first-in-class ophthalmic pipeline assets into advanced clinical testing following data from recent human trials.
The pipeline programs target dry eye disease and ocular surface pain, representing a combined estimated peak sales potential exceeding $2 billion.
Dry Eye Combination Prepares For Phase 3
The company’s dual-action eye drop combines active ingredients from XIIDRA and MIEBO into a single twice-daily therapy.
In a Phase 2 trial of 443 patients, the candidate missed its Day 29 primary endpoint for superior corneal staining reduction over lifitegrast alone.
However, it achieved a statistically significant reduction at Day 15 (p=0.0007), where 41.6% of patients achieved marked improvement compared to 18.8% on lifitegrast alone.
Using over 50% less lifitegrast volume than XIIDRA and half the dosing frequency of MIEBO, the candidate maintained a safety profile consistent with both established drugs.
Bausch + Lomb will advance the treatment to Phase 3 studies using the FDA-accepted Day 15 primary endpoint. The asset carries an estimated peak sales projection of $700 million.
Ocular Pain Asset Delivers Phase 1b Results
Meanwhile, BL1332, a novel TRPV1 antagonist targeting ocular surface pain, met its primary endpoint in a Phase 1b trial.
Treated eyes experienced a 5.5-point drop in pain intensity five seconds after a capsaicin challenge compared to vehicle (p<0.0001). Additionally, 68.2% of treated eyes achieved complete pain resolution with no reports of severe pain.
Bausch + Lomb is evaluating BL1332 in a Phase 2 post-surgical study, expecting topline data in the coming months. Management targets BL1332 peak sales at $1.4 billion, expecting both assets to drive growth past 2028.
Earnings Snapshot
On July 29, Bausch + Lomb reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of 16 cents per share, beating the 15-cent estimate. Sales of $1.394 billion also topped the $1.369 billion estimate.
The company raised its 2026 sales outlook to $5.44 billion to $5.54 billion from $5.42 billion to $5.52 billion. The midpoint is above the $5.468 billion estimate.
BLCO Stock Price Activity: Bausch & Lomb shares were up 1.04% at $17.50 during premarket trading on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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