Advanced Medical Optics Inc. said Tuesday it plans to come back with a new formulation of its Complete contact lens solution that was voluntarily recalled nearly two weeks ago.
“Our expectation is that we’ll be able to re-enter the market later this year,” Chief Executive James Mazzo said.
The company is working with federal regulators on the relaunch, Mazzo said in a conference call with analysts and investors.
Advanced Medical still hasn’t come up with a bill for the May 25 recall, its second since November.
The company pulled the product last month after a government investigation linked it to a rare infection that can cause blindness.
“We are not in a position to provide guidance at this time,” Mazzo said of the recall’s cost. “This is largely because we need to do further analysis with respect to what our options are and what the financial impact might be.”
Mazzo also declined to answer an analyst’s question about whether Advanced Medical still is interested in exploring a bid for rival Bausch & Lomb Inc.
Prior to the recall, Advanced Medical said it was interested in buying Bausch & Lomb and was willing to top a $3.67 billion bid from private equity firm Warburg Pincus that Bausch & Lomb already accepted.
