Earnings rise

Alcon's global sales rose 12.5 per cent to $1.89bn for the second quarter of 2010, with net earnings up 15.1 per cent to $670m, compared to $582m in the same period in 2009.

The company reported that global sales of consumer eye care products rose 7.7 per cent on an organic basis to $226m, compared to $207m for the same period in 2009, on the strong performance of the Systane family of lubricant eye drops.

Alcon has just launched in the US the Systane Balance lubricant eye drops for patients with meibomium gland dysfunction.

In its highlights, the company noted its aim to acquire LenSx Lasers, an ophthalmic laser company that has developed a customisable, image-guided femtosecond laser which can be used in cataract surgery.