B&L first quarter revenues increase by 14% over previous year

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Bausch & Lomb reported first quarter 2004 sales of $510.3 million, an increase of 14% from the first quarter of 2003. Growth was seen in the company’s contact lens, pharmaceutical, refractive surgery and lens care categories, with a slight decline in cataract surgery products, according to a Bausch & Lomb press release.

First quarter U.S. revenues increased 7% from the same quarter in 2003, to $194.4 million. Revenues outside the U.S. increased 18% over the same period in 2003 as well, according to the company.

Contact lens sales rose in each geographic segment during the quarter. Lens care revenue growth was primarily attributable to higher sales of multipurpose lens care solutions in the Americas, which helped to counterbalance the flat performance in Europe and Asia, the press release said.

In the pharmaceuticals category, pricing legislation in Germany led to essentially flat sales in Europe, the release said, and growth in the category was mainly attributable to the company’s line of ocular vitamins.

Revenue gains in the cataract and vitreoretinal product lines in Europe were more than offset by similar declines in the Americas, according to the release. Sales gains were recorded for both the SofPort and Akreos IOLs and for disposable products used in cataract surgery. Refractive surgery sales grew in each geographic region, due to higher revenues from equipment placements, Zyoptix system upgrades and per-procedure cards. Revenues grew close to 40% in the United States, indicative of the Zyoptix system’s marketing approval in late 2003, Bausch & Lomb noted in the release.