B&L predicts 9% growth

Eye care products manufacturer Bausch & Lomb is predicting 9 per cent growth for 2007 after revenue fell 3 per cent to around $2.29bn in 2006 because of costs associated with the recall of its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution and legal action resulting from this.

Publishing its unaudited full-year and fourth-quarter 2006 financial results this week, the company added that variations to the figures could not be ruled out because its financial close process for 2006 had yet to be completed. However, it said it expected sales of contact lenses to grow 8 to 10 per cent in 2007, helped by enhancements to PureVision.