After 28 days of treatment, BL1107 did not meet its main goal of improving visual field scores in a study.
- Instead of pursuing the eye drop further in glaucoma, Bausch + Lomb will focus on developing a sustained-release implant version of the same drug candidate for geographic atrophy.
- Clinical trials for that program are expected to begin in 2028.
- Following the BL1107 topical setback, Bausch + Lomb’s most advanced pharmaceutical programs are now the dual-action dry eye drop and BL1332 for ocular pain.
Shares of Bausch + Lomb (BLCO) fell 4% after hours on Thursday after the company said that its experimental glaucoma treatment BL1107 failed to improve vision in a mid-stage clinical trial, prompting the company to stop development of the drug as a daily eye drop.
Trial Results
The randomized, double-masked study enrolled 159 patients with glaucoma or high eye pressure. After 28 days of treatment, BL1107 did not meet its main goal of improving visual field scores, which measure peripheral vision. Key secondary measures of vision improvement also fell short.
The drug, however, did succeed in lowering eye pressure, meeting one secondary goal. Safety results were consistent with earlier studies, with no new concerns identified, the company said.
Bausch + Lomb has decided not to move forward with BL1107 as a topical eye drop for glaucoma. The company noted that an earlier, smaller study had shown promising vision improvements, but the larger mid-stage trial did not confirm those findings.
Executives React
“Success in drug development is based on a portfolio, not a single program,” said Yehia Hashad, Executive Vice President of R&D and Chief Medical Officer. “Not every program will succeed, but every study helps us make smarter decisions.”
Following the BL1107 topical setback, Bausch + Lomb’s most advanced pharmaceutical programs are now the dual-action dry eye drop and BL1332 for ocular pain, both with data readouts expected in the second half of 2026.
Instead of pursuing the eye drop further in glaucoma, Bausch + Lomb will focus on developing a sustained-release implant version of the same drug candidate for geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration, the company said. Clinical trials for that program are expected to begin in 2028.
How Did BLCO Retail Traders React?
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around BLCO stock stayed within the ‘neutral’ territory while message volume fell from ‘high’ to ‘normal’ levels.
A Stocktwits user dismissed the company pipeline as the “worst.”
Another termed the Thursday announcement a “clean negative readout.”
BLCO stock has fallen 2% year-to-date.
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