Bausch + Lomb aims to shake up contact lenses with deal off the table: EXCLUSIVE

Bausch + Lomb said this month it had explored taking the company private with a third-party buyer. No deal was reached as a consortium of private equity firms TPG and Blackstone reportedly backed out. Bausch + Lomb (BLCO) said it would not pursue a transaction at this time. But it reiterated a view that a full separation from Bausch Health Companies (BHC) is still the goal. Bausch Health Companies owns 88.4% of Bausch + Lomb. So what’s next for the the healthcare icon? Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi chats with Bausch + Lomb chairman and CEO Brent Saunders. Saunders is known as one of the biggest dealmakers in the pharmaceutical industry of the past 15 years. Saunders returned to Bausch + Lomb as CEO in March 2023. In May 2013, he was also the CEO of Bausch + Lomb, responsible for its $8.7 billion sale to Valeant Pharmaceuticals. He then took over as the CEO of Forest Laboratories. By February 2014, Saunders orchestrated a sale of the company to Actavis for $25 billion. He assumed the CEO position. From there in November 2014, he pulled off a $70 billion acquisition of Allergan and became its CEO. It's there where Saunders' star quickly rose in media circles, overseeing the commercial success of botox and doing battle with feared activist investor Carl Icahn. Saunders then sold Allergan to Abbvie (ABBV) for $63 billion in a deal that closed in May 2020. He says no deal is imminent for Bausch + Lomb.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid, brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor - before the stock market opens.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com.

00:00-Brent Saunders on Opening Bid

03:00-A vast career leading on route to CEO

06:30-Future of eye care industry

09:30-Consequences of our activities on our eye health

12:15-State of company: Bausch + Lomb

17:50-Health care industry outlook

20:40-HOT TAKE

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid is hosted by Brian Sozzi, and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

Brent Saunders is an American biopharma executive and entrepreneur who is the chairman and CEO of the health company Bausch + Lomb.

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