"This transaction will enhance our focus on prioritized innovative medicines to alleviate society's greatest disease burdens, achieve the greatest patient impact and drive our growth strategy. Our ongoing portfolio refinement enables us to best deploy our scientific expertise and resources towards priority programs and therapeutic areas, while remaining open to opportunistic development for additional high impact conditions leveraging our advanced technology platforms. We believe that Bausch + Lomb has the capabilities, scale and commitment to continue the work of Novartis in delivering and developing much needed therapies for patients suffering from dry eye and related conditions," said Ronny Gal, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer of Novartis.