B&L reports 8% sales increase in third quarter

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Sales in the third quarter of 2004 were $548.9 million for Bausch & Lomb, an 8% increase from the same quarter the previous year, the company announced in a press release. The company increased sales in every product category except lens care, the release noted.

Third-quarter U.S. revenues were $216.9 million, up 2% from the previous year’s quarter, representing 40% of the company’s total sales. Revenues outside the United States increased 12% from the previous year, the press release stated.

Contact lens revenue grew in each region, led by the SofLens and PureVision brands, the release said. Contact lens net sales totaled $171.1 million during the quarter, up from $154.9 during the previous year’s quarter.

Lens care sales declined in both the Americas and Europe regions, more than offsetting the gains reported in the Asian markets, B&L reported. Total lens care sales equaled $128.9 million during the quarter.

Pharmaceutical revenues increased in the Americas and Asian regions but remained flat in Europe, the company stated. Pharmaceutical sales topped $128.9 million in the third quarter, up from $116.7 million in the third quarter of 2003.

Cataract and vitreoretinal sales increased to $85.6 million for the quarter, compared with $77.5 million during the year-ago period, led by sales of the Millennium system. Refractive sales also increased to $34.7 million, up from $28.5 million during the year-ago period, the release stated.