The deal volume in 2023 is already off to a strong start in medtech. Bausch + Lomb is the latest firm to announce M&A this month.

The Laval, Canada-based company said that an affiliate has acquired AcuFocus, a company that has developed breakthrough small aperture intraocular technology to address the diverse unmet needs in eye care.

Irvine, CA-based AcuFocus has developed the IC-8 Apthera intraocular lens (IOL), which was approved by FDA in July 2022. Known as the IC-8 IOL in global markets, this IOL is available in select markets across Europe, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

The IC-8 Apthera IOL is a wavefront-filtering intraocular lens for unilateral implantation in patients who have been diagnosed with bilateral operable cataracts, have as much as 1.5 diopters of corneal astigmatism in the implanted eye and who do not have a history of retinal disease and are not predisposed to experience retinal disease in the future. This IOL, compared to a monofocal or monofocal toric IOL, provides an extended range of vision from distance through near.

“Cataracts are the largest contributor to global blindness in adults aged 50 years and older, with more than 15 million individuals, or approximately 45 percent of the more than 33 million cases of global blindness. We believe that the IC-8 Apthera EDOF IOL will bolster our surgical portfolio by enhancing our IOL offerings, which is a strategic area of focus for B+L,” said Joseph C. Papa, CEO, Bausch + Lomb.

B+L joins Shockwave, Zimmer Biomet, and GE Healthcare – companies that have already made acquisitions this month.