Bausch + Lomb launches advanced Eye vitamin, target market expands to early-stage AMD

Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO) announced the commercial rollout of PreserVision AREDS3 in the United States, expanding its consumer health portfolio and adjusting its long-standing marketing strategy to capture patients in earlier stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The Vaughan, Ontario-based eye health specialist developed the new formulation to build upon the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) nutritional framework established by the National Eye Institute.

While previous industry interventions focused strictly on reducing disease progression in moderate-to-advanced AMD cases, the new product integrates a proprietary B-vitamin complex designed to allow eye care professionals to recommend nutritional management significantly earlier in the disease lifecycle.

The standard clinical approach to AMD has relied on stage-specific dietary interventions.

By broadening the clinical indications to early-stage patients, Bausch + Lomb aims to tap into a wider demographic within the United States, where AMD is the primary driver of vision loss among older demographics, affecting an estimated 28 million individuals.

The progressive condition deteriorates central vision, severely limiting daily operational capabilities such as driving and reading.

The newly introduced formula combines standard AREDS2 ingredients with a specialized eight-part B-vitamin complex consisting of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12.

According to corporate data, the altered composition is engineered to promote cellular eye function and yields two times better metabolic absorption of key nutrients compared to older iterations.

Corporate development of the product was informed by a recent narrative review published in Ophthalmology and Therapy, which synthesized data from more than 20 human clinical trials encompassing nearly 30,000 subjects over two decades.

Key data points included the Women’s Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study, which demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between specific B-vitamin intake and a lower statistical risk of developing AMD.

Bausch + Lomb's consumer division confirmed that the company is currently finalizing protocols for a long-term clinical trial to further evaluate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of the AREDS3 formulation over an extended multi-year observation period.