(PRESS RELEASE) New Brunswick, NJ – Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) announced a definitive agreement to acquire Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), a wholly owned subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories, for $4.325 billion in cash.
AMO reported sales of $1.1 billion for 2015. The acquisition will include ophthalmic products in three business segments: cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery and consumer eye health.
“Eye health is one of the largest, fastest growing and most underserved segments in health care today,” said Ashley McEvoy, company group chairman, responsible for Johnson & Johnson’s Vision Care Companies. “With the acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics’ 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.”
In addition to the cataract business, AMO has 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 – over-the-counter drops for dry eye, as well as multipurpose solutions and hydrogen peroxide cleaning systems for patients who wear contact lenses.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017. The closing is subject to antitrust clearance and other customary closing conditions.
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