Valeant Pharmaceuticals Well on the Road to Recovery After Bausch + Lomb Distribution Deal

Valeant Pharmaceuticals shares made a spectacular crash over the course of 2015 to 2017, and it looks like they may now be on the path to recovery.

Published December 18, 2017, 1:35pm ET · 2 min read

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Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE: VRX) shares made a spectacular crash over the course of 2015 to 2017, and it looks like they now may be on the path to recovery. The stock ultimately responded positively when Valeant announced that its subsidiary Bausch + Lomb has begun distributing Vyzulta (latanoprostene bunod ophthalmic solution) for patients across the United States.

Keep in mind that this was roughly a $250 stock as of mid-2015, and since then shares have dropped over 90% to the current price level. On the other hand, the stock has rallied about 36% in 2017 alone, and there is still much more ground to cover.

While Valeant’s stock was in the midst of that spiral, management worked to liquidate most unnecessary assets and parts of the business, leaving the most profitable as the bare bones for the business. A strategy like this would take some time to pull off, but already we seem to be seeing results.

For some quick background on Vyzulta: it is the first prostaglandin analog, with one of its metabolites being nitric oxide (NO), and it is indicated for the reduction of intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

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Most common ocular adverse reactions with incidence greater than 2% are conjunctival hyperemia (6%), eye irritation (4%), eye pain (3%) and instillation site pain (2%).

Joseph C. Papa, board chair and chief executive of Valeant, commented:

We’re excited that VYZULTA is now available as a treatment option for people suffering from glaucoma. We remain committed to developing new innovative eye health medicines that can help address current and emerging unmet medical needs, particularly as the global population continues to advance in age.

Shares of Valeant were last seen up roughly 8.5% at $21.39, with a 52-week range of $8.31 to $22.81.

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Chris Lange

Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.

His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.

When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.

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