Bausch Health

Last modified by Asif Farooqui on 2020/01/13 11:18

Bausch Health Companies (BHC) (formerly  Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.) is a multinational, specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company that develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of branded, generic and branded generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (“OTC”) products and medical devices (contact lenses, intraocular lenses, ophthalmic surgical equipment, and aesthetics devices), which are marketed directly or indirectly in over 100 countries. We are diverse not only in our sources of revenue from our broad drug and medical device portfolio, but also among the therapeutic classes and geographies we serve. We generated revenues of $4,342 million and $4,792 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Our portfolio of products falls into three reportable segments: information Bausch + Lomb/International, (ii) Branded Rx and (iii) U.S. Diversified Products.1

The Bausch + Lomb/International segment consists of: information sales in the U.S. of pharmaceutical products, OTC products and medical device products, primarily comprised of Bausch + Lomb products, with a focus on the Vision Care, Surgical, Consumer and Ophthalmology Rx products and (ii) sales in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East of branded pharmaceutical products, branded generic pharmaceutical products, OTC products, medical device products, and Bausch + Lomb products.

The Branded Rx segment consists of sales in the U.S. of: information Salix products, (ii) dermatological products, (iii) branded pharmaceutical products, branded generic pharmaceutical products, OTC products and medical device products and (iv) oncology, dentistry and women’s health products.

The U.S. Diversified Products segment consists of sales in the U.S. of: information pharmaceutical products, OTC products and medical device products in the areas of neurology and certain other therapeutic classes, including aesthetics (which includes the Solta and Obagi businesses) and (ii) generic products.

We are focused on core geographies and the therapeutic classes discussed above which have the potential for strong operating margins and offer growth opportunities.

For a comprehensive discussion of our business, business strategy, products and other business matters, see Item 1. “Business” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2017.

History

Following the Company’s (then named Biovail Corporation) acquisition of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (“Valeant”) on September 28, 2010 (the “Merger”), we supplemented our internal research and development ("R&D") efforts with strategic acquisitions to expand our portfolio offerings and geographic footprint. In 2013, we acquired Bausch & Lomb Holdings Incorporated (“B&L”), a global eye health company that focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing eye health products, including contact lenses, contact lens care solutions, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals and ophthalmic surgical products. In 2015, we acquired Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (“Salix”) (the "Salix Acquisition"), a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing prescription drugs and medical devices used in treatment of a variety of gastrointestinal ("GI") disorders with a portfolio of over 20 marketed products, including Xifaxan®, Uceris®, Apriso®, Glumetza®, and Relistor®. In 2015, we acquired the exclusive licensing rights to develop and commercialize brodalumab, an IL-17 receptor monoclonal antibody for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis for which, following internal development work, on February 15, 2017, we received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"). On July 27, 2017, we launched this product in the U.S. (marketed as Siliq™ in the U.S.). We believe the investments we have made in B&L, Salix, brodalumab and other acquisitions, as well as our ongoing investments in our internal R&D efforts, are helping us to capitalize on the core geographies and therapeutic classes which have the potential for strong operating margins and offer attractive growth opportunities. While business development through acquisitions may continue to be a component of our long-term strategy, we have made minimal acquisitions since 2015 and expect the volume and size of acquisitions to be low in the foreseeable future.

Business Strategy

Our strategy is to focus our business on core geographies and therapeutic classes that offer attractive growth opportunities. Within our chosen therapeutic classes and geographies, we prioritize durable products which have the potential for strong operating margins and evidence of growth opportunities. The growth of our business is further augmented through our lower risk, output-focused R&D model, which allows us to advance certain development programs to drive future commercial growth, while creating efficiencies in our R&D efforts.

Key Initiatives

Prior to 2016, we had completed a series of mergers and acquisitions which were key to the Company’s previous strategy for growth. We are experiencing the synergies and other benefits that were expected when entering into these transactions.

The Company has transitioned away from a focus on acquisitions, has taken steps to stabilize its business and has begun placing greater emphasis on a select number of internal R&D projects. The Company’s key initiatives include: information concentrating our focus on core businesses where we believe we have an existing and sustainable competitive edge, (ii) identifying opportunities to improve operational efficiencies and reviewing our internal allocation of capital and (iii) strengthening the Company’s balance sheet and capital structure.

In 2017, we have continued to execute on these key initiatives. We have better defined our core businesses, shifted our operations toward those core businesses and made measurable progress in strengthening our balance sheet.

Focus on Core Businesses - We believe that there is significant opportunity in the eye health and branded prescription pharmaceutical businesses. Our existing portfolio, commercial footprint and pipeline of product development projects are expected to position us to compete and be successful in these markets. As a result, we believe these businesses provide us with the greatest opportunity to build value for our stakeholders. In order to focus our efforts, in 2016, we performed a review of our portfolio of assets to identify those areas where we believe we have, and can maintain, a competitive advantage and we continue to define and shape our business around these assets. We identify these areas as “core”, meaning that we are best positioned to grow and develop them. By narrowing our focus, we have the opportunity to reduce complexity in our business and maximize the value of our core businesses. We describe our core areas by business and by geography. Within our Branded Rx segment, our core businesses include GI (or Salix) and dermatology. We also view our global eye health business, within our Bausch + Lomb/International segment, as core. Although the business units that fall outside our definition of “core” assets may be solid, the focus of their product pipelines and geographic footprint are not fully aligned with the focus of our core business, and they are, therefore, at a disadvantage when competing against our core activities for resources and capital within the Company.

Internal Capital Allocation and Operating Efficiencies - In support of the key initiatives outlined above, in 2016, a new leadership team was recruited and many of the executive roles were realigned or expanded to drive value in our product portfolio and generate operational efficiencies. Beginning in the latter half of 2016, the leadership team began to address a number of issues affecting performance and other operational matters. These operational matters included:

Sales Force Stabilization - We believe that new leadership and the enhanced focus on core assets have enabled the Company to recruit and retain stronger talent for its sales initiatives. We continue to focus on stabilizing our sales forces, which, in turn, will allow us to deliver more consistent and concise messages in the marketplace.

Patient Access and Pricing Committee and New Pricing Actions - In May 2016, we formed the Patient Access and Pricing Committee responsible for setting, changing and monitoring the pricing of our Branded Rx and other pharmaceutical products. Following this committee's recommendation, we implemented an enhanced rebate program to all hospitals in the U.S. to reduce the price of our Nitropress® and Isuprel® products. In October 2016, the Patient Access and Pricing Committee approved 2% to 9% increases to our gross selling price (wholesale acquisition cost or “WAC”) for products in our neurology, GI and urology portfolios. The changes are aligned with the Patient Access and Pricing Committee's commitment that the average annual price increase for our prescription pharmaceutical products will be set at no greater than single digits and below the 5-year weighted average of the increases within the branded biopharmaceutical industry. In addition, in 2016, no pricing increases were taken on our dermatology and ophthalmology products and, in 2016, net pricing of our dermatology and ophthalmology products, after taking into account the impact of rebates and other adjustments, decreased by greater than 10% on average. On April 21, 2017, the Company announced that, following the evaluation and approval of the Patient Access and Pricing Committee, it had decided to list SILIQ™ (brodalumab) injection at $3,500 per month, which represented the lowest-priced injectable biologic psoriasis treatment on the market at the time of the announcement. In the future, we expect that the Patient Access and Pricing Committee will implement or recommend additional price changes and/or new programs to enhance patient access to our drugs and that these pricing changes and programs could affect the average realized pricing for our products and may have a significant impact on our revenue trends.

The ranking of our business units during 2016 changed our view of how capital should be allocated across our activities. Our first step was to review each business unit, consider and assess the appropriate levels of operating expense, and to eliminate non-productive costs. As a result of that review, we identified several hundred million dollars of cost savings opportunities.

To position the Company to drive the value of our core assets, we made a number of leadership changes and took steps to increase our promotional efforts, particularly in GI, and increase our commitment to Research and development.

The GI unit initiated a significant sales force expansion program in December 2016 to reach potential primary care physician ("PCP") prescribers of Xifaxan® for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea and Relistor® tablets for opioid induced constipation ("OIC"). In the first quarter of 2017, we hired approximately 250 trained and experienced sales force representatives and managers to create, bolster and sustain deep relationships with PCPs. With approximately 70 percent of IBS-D patients initially presenting with symptoms to a PCP, we believe that the dedicated PCP sales force will be positioned to reach more patients in need of IBS-D treatment. The investment in these additional sales resources, including an increase in associated promotional costs, is expected to be in the range of $50 million to $60 million, as we believe this spend is needed to allow us to capitalize on the full potential of Xifaxan®. The costs of this investment in our GI unit reduced our operating results in the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017 and are expected to begin driving incremental revenue for Xifaxan® beginning in the second half of 2017. In addition, we have expanded our dedicated pain sales representatives to strengthen our position in the OIC market, and established a nurse educator team to educate clinical staff within top institutions.

We increased our R&D expenditures for the full year 2016 by 26%, as we began the transition away from the Company's previous growth by acquisition strategy and toward organic growth supported by investment in R&D. Our R&D organization focuses on the development of products through clinical trials and consists of approximately 1,000 dedicated R&D and quality assurance employees in 18 R&D facilities. Our R&D expenses for 2016, 2015 and 2014 were $421 million, $334 million and $246 million, respectively. Our R&D expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2017 were $190 million as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016 of $227 million. The decrease is attributable to the year over year phasing of our investment as we launched new products that required investment in the prior year, removed projects related to divested businesses and rebalanced our portfolio to better align with our long term plans. Currently, we have over 100 R&D projects in the pipeline and we have launched or expect to launch and/or relaunch over 50 products during 2017.

Core assets that have received a significant portion of our R&D investment are:

Dermatology - On July 27, 2017, we launched Siliq™ (brodalumab) in the U.S. Siliq™ is an IL-17 receptor blocker monoclonal antibody biologic for treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, which we estimate to be an over $5,000 million market in the U.S. The FDA approved the Biologies License Application ("BLA") for Siliq™ injection, for subcutaneous use for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and have failed to respond or have lost response to other systemic therapies. Siliq™ has a Black Box Warning for the risks in patients with a history of suicidal thoughts or behavior and was approved with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy involving a one-time enrollment for physicians and one-time informed consent for patients.

Dermatology - IDP-118 is a fixed combination product with two different mechanisms of action for treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults which has completed two positive Phase 3 Trials. We expect to file the New Drug Application ("NDA") for this product in the second half of 2017.

Dermatology - IDP-122 is a novel psoriasis product, for which we expect to file an NDA in the second half of 2017.

Dermatology - IDP-121 is a novel acne product, for which we expect to file an NDA in the second half of 2017.

Gastrointestinal - A new formulation of rifaximin, which we acquired as part of the Salix Acquisition, is scheduled to begin Phase 2b/3 testing in the second half of 2017.

Eye Health - Luminesse™ (provisional name) (brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution, 0.025%) is being developed as an ocular redness reliever. On February 27, 2017, we filed the NDA for Luminesse™ with the FDA. In May 2017, we announced that the FDA had accepted the NDA for review, and set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act ("PDUFA") action date of December 27, 2017.

Eye Health - Latanoprostene Bunod is an intraocular pressure lowering single-agent eye drop dosed once daily for patients with open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. In September 2015, we announced that the FDA had accepted for review the NDA for this product and set a PDUFA action date of July 21, 2016. On July 22, 2016, we announced that we had received a Complete Response Letter (“CRL”) from the FDA regarding the NDA for this product. On February 24, 2017 we refiled the NDA and, on August 7, 2017, we received another CRL from the FDA regarding the NDA for this product. The concerns raised by the FDA in both CRLs pertain to the findings of Current Good Manufacturing Practices inspections at our manufacturing facility in Tampa, Florida where certain deficiencies were identified by the FDA. However, neither CRL identified any efficacy or safety concerns with respect to this product or additional clinical trials needed for the approval of the NDA. We will work closely with the FDA to determine the appropriate next steps for this NDA. We continue to expect to launch this product after receiving FDA approval.

Eye Health - Vitesse™ is a novel technology using ultrasonic energy for vitreous removal with reduced surgical trauma. On April 26, 2017, Vitesse™ received 510(k) clearance from the FDA. We expect to launch this product during the second half of 2017.

Dermatology - Traser™ is an energy-based platform device with significant versatility and power capabilities to address various dermatological conditions, including vascular and pigmented lesions. Product launch is currently planned for the second half of 2019.

Eye Health - We expect to file a Premarket Approval application with the FDA in the second half of 2017 for 7-day extended wear for our Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® monthly planned replacement contact lenses.

Eye Health - On April 6, 2017, we announced that our Stellaris Elite™ Vision Enhancement System received 510(k) clearance from the FDA. The Stellaris Elite™ Vision Enhancement System is our next generation phacoemulsification cataract platform, which offers new innovations as well as the opportunity to add upgrades and enhancements every one to two years. Stellaris Elite™ will be the first phacoemulsification platform on the market to offer Adaptive Fluidics™, which combines precise aspiration control with predictive infusion management to create a highly responsive and controlled surgical environment for efficient cataract lens removal. Stellaris Elite™ was launched in April 2017.

Eye Health - Biotrue® ONEday for Astigmatism is a daily disposable contact lens for astigmatic patients. The Biotrue® ONEday lenses incorporates Surface Active TechnologyTM to provide a dehydration barrier. The Biotrue® ONEday for Astigmatism also includes evolved peri-ballast geometry to deliver stability and comfort for the astigmatic patient. We launched this product in December 2016 and expect to launch an extended power range in the second half of 2017.

Eye Health - Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® for Astigmatism is a monthly planned replacement contact lens for astigmatic patients. The Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® for Astigmatism lens was developed using the proprietary MoistureSeal® technology. In addition, the Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® for Astigmatism lens integrates a OpticAlign™ design engineered for lens stability and to promote a successful wearing experience for the astigmatic patient. We launched this product in March 2017 and expect to launch an extended power range in the second half of 2017.

Eye Health - Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® for Presbyopia is a monthly planned replacement contact lens for presbyopic patients. The Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® for Presbyopia lens was developed using the proprietary MoistureSeal® technology. In addition, the Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® for Presbyopia lens integrates a 3 zone progressive design for near, intermediate and distance vision. We will continue to launch expanded parameters of this product throughout 2017.

Eye Health - Bausch + Lomb ScleralFil® solution is a novel contact lens care solution that makes use of a preservative free buffered saline solution for use with the insertion of scleral lenses. This contact lens care solution was launched in 2017.

Eye Health - Bausch + Lomb renu® Advanced Formula multi-purpose solution is a novel soft and silicone hydrogel contact lenses solution that makes use of three disinfectants and two moisture agents. This contact lens multipurpose care solution was launched in May 2017.

Gastrointestinal - Oral Relistor® is a tablet for the treatment of OIC in adult patients with chronic non-cancer pain. In September 2015, we announced that the FDA accepted for review the NDA for Relistor® tablets, and, on July 19, 2016, the FDA approved Relistor® tablets. We commenced sales of Relistor® tablets in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2016.

Eye Health - On February 21, 2017, EyeGate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. granted the Company the exclusive licensing rights to manufacture and sell its EyeGate® II Delivery System and EGP-437 combination product candidate worldwide for the treatment of post-operative pain and inflammation in ocular surgery patients. EyeGate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will be responsible for the continued development of this product candidate in this field in the U.S. and all associated costs. The Company has the right to further develop the product in this field outside of the U.S., at its cost. In July 2017, EyeGate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. enrolled its first patient in a new Phase IIB clinical study for cataract surgery.

Eye Health - A new Ophthalmic Viscosurgical Device product, with a formulation to protect corneal endothelium during Phaco emulsification process during a cataract surgery and also helps chamber maintenance and lubrication during intraocular lens delivery. We expect to initiate an investigative device exemption ("IDE") study in 2017.

Dermatology - Next Generation Thermage® is a fourth-generation non-invasive treatment option using a radiofrequency platform designed to optimize key functional characteristics, expand clinical indication set, and improve patient outcomes. We expect to launch this product in 2017, subject to receiving 510(k) clearance from the FDA.

Gastrointestinal - NER1006 (provisionally named Plenvu®) is a novel, lower-volume polyethylene glycol-based bowel preparation that has been developed to help provide complete bowel cleansing, with an additional focus on the ascending colon. In June 2017, we announced that the FDA accepted for review the NDA for NER1006 and expect an FDA decision in 2018. NER1006 was licensed by Norgine B.V. to Salix in August 2016.

Eye Health - Loteprednol Gel 0.38% is a new formulation for the treatment of post-operative ocular inflammation and pain with lower drug concentration and less frequent dosing currently in Phase II testing.

Eye Health - enVista® Trifocal intraocular lens is an innovative lens design which we expect to initiate an IDE study for in 2017.

Our investment in R&D reflects our commitment to drive organic growth through internal development of new products, a pillar of our new strategy.

References

  1. ^ https://www.bauschhealth.com
Tags: US:BHC
Created by Asif Farooqui on 2020/01/13 11:11
     
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