Issue: March 2017
February 27, 2017
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AMO acquisition puts focus on the patient, J&J chairman says

Issue: March 2017
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Johnson & Johnson completed the acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics in an all-cash $4.325 billion payment, according to a J&J press release issued today.

Perspective from Kerry Giedd, OD, MS, FAAO

The transaction includes ophthalmic products in three areas of patient care: cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery and consumer eye health, and the combined organization will operate under the name Johnson & Johnson Vision (J&J Vision).

Ashley McEvoy
Ashley McEvoy

“What we get very excited about, under the umbrella of J&J Vision, is putting the patient in the middle and bridging the two O’s [optometry and ophthalmology] to best serve patients,” Ashley McEvoy, company group chairman, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Medical Devices, said in an interview with Primary Care Optometry News.

“Optometrists play a strong role in primary eye health,” McEvoy said, and surgeons need to be in surgery and in the operating room. Leveraging the skill set of these professions to better serve patients is an important priority for the company, she said.

J&J pursued Abbott for many reasons, McEvoy explained.

“We really liked their strong, foundational base in surgical ophthalmics (they are No. 2), they have a very strong differentiated portfolio in IOLs, a very competitive platform in femtosecond lasers and a leadership position in refractive surgery, which is No. 1 in the world, with some neat innovation on the way,” she said.

McEvoy added that J&J Vision has a big opportunity in professional outreach for both eye care segments.

“In addition to tapping into what I’ll call our surgical platform,” she continued, “we also have access to J&J, a world leader in surgery, with over a hundred institutes that we can take advantage of, for curriculum with patient education and in the health care profession.”

At nearly $70 billion, eye health is one of the largest, fastest-growing and most underserved segments in health care today, according to the release. by Abigail Sutton