Bausch & Lomb Acquires Soothe Emollient Eye Drops; Expands Product Line

Bausch & Lomb announced its acquisition of Soothe emollient (lubricant) eye drops from Alimera Sciences, a privately-held ophthalmic pharmaceutical company.

Bausch & Lomb will expand upon the Soothe brand's success, establishing a broader line of OTC products to relieve dry eye symptoms. The company said it will initially focus on two technologies, each designed to target a different layer of the tear film.

Introduced in 2004, Soothe — now renamed Soothe XP — was the first OTC multidose, emollient-based artificial tear product, according to Bausch & Lomb. Its formulation re-establishes the eye's protective lipid layer, reducing tear evaporation and sealing in essential moisture. This formula is a meta-stable oil-in-water emulsion — a combination of oils and a key interfacial molecule, the company said.

Bausch & Lomb has also begun shipping a new OTC formulation, Soothe Lubricant Eye Drops Long Lasting Relief Preservative Free. This formulation uses a hydrophilic polymer to interact with the eye's mucin layer. The polymer-mucin interaction stabilizes and rebuilds the tear film by forming a scaffolding system, allowing water and the product's demulcent active ingredients to be retained on the cornea, according to the company.