Johnson & Johnson completes AMO Acquisition

The all-cash acquisition will see AMO’s ophthalmic products for cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery (LASIK) and consumer eye health, integrated with the J&J Acuvue contact lens business to form J&J Vision.Consumer Medical Devices group company chairperson Ms Ashley McEvoy said the move would see J&J Vision become a world leader in eye health.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: Sight is precious, it’s the sense people fear losing the most. By bringing on board surgical solutions that are supported by the resources and global reach of Johnson & Johnson, we can improve and restore sight for more patients across the globe, -WHO:Ms Ashley McEvoy, Company Group Chairman of Consumer Medical Devices}}“Sight is precious, it’s the sense people fear losing the most. By bringing on board surgical solutions that are supported by the resources and global reach of Johnson & Johnson, we can improve and restore sight for more patients across the globe,” she said.McEvoy will lead J&J Vision Group, comprised of Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision (formerly AMO) and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.Former AMO president Mr Tom Frinzi will head the surgical arm of the business, while Mr Swami Raote, a 25-year J&J veteran with experience across all three of the company’s business segments, will lead the contact lens business.AMO started in 1976 as American Medical Optics and had undergone multiple takeovers before being purchased by Abbott Laboratories in 2009.The company received approval in July last year for the TECNIS Symfony intraocular to provide quality vision post cataract surgery, while it also pioneered the iDesign Advanced WaveScan Studio Syst that creates 3D maps of the eye for use on Lasik treatment.NASA has used the iDesign technology to shape and measure the mirror components of the James Webb Space Telescope, by detecting imperfections and correcting th.According to Johnson & Johnson’s press release confirming the completed acquisition, eye health is one of the largest, fastest growing and most underserved segments in healthcare today, with an estimated value of US$70 billion (AU$90.85 b).